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The title role at this performance was danced by Nino Gogua, a beautiful young girl with dark almond eyes and lovely limbs. Born in Tbilisi, she graduated from the Vakhtang Chabukiani State Choreographic School and joined the Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre (as SBG is officially known) in 2003. She was promoted to soloist in ’07 and has danced many leading roles including Juliet, Queen of the Dryads (Don Quixote), Jacinta (Laurencia) and those in Balanchine’s Mozartiana and Duo Concertant and Yuri Possukhov’s Sagalobeli. Nino is naturally musical and in Giselle would use every lingering moment of a phrasing before smoothly passing into the next movement.

When this Giselle first appeared on stage at the door of her cottage, it was obvious that Nino had been able to immerse herself into her role and had cast aside any anxiety about the real-life drama going on in her country, something that was troubling all the dancers backstage. Knowing that it was Albrecht who had knocked on her door, she skipped lightly and with contained excitement around the stage, searching in vain for him. When she couldn’t see him, her smiling face puckered with disappointment and her body seemed to wilt, but when they bumped into each other, her joy flooded back. It was all very convincing. Throughout the ballet, Nino’s mime (and that of the other dancers) was very clear and unhurried so that it was understandable to even first time ballet audiences. Her steps were neat yet strong and she possesses a soft easy jump. As a Wili, she moved with ethereal grace and smoothness. Her unfolding arabesque penches were rock steady, elegantly stretching from fingertip to pointed toe while her batterie backwards was swift and precise. Nino’s Giselle related well to Albrecht throughout the ballet, showing the needed changes of emotion.

The company certainly goes in for manly men, strong, tall and muscular. Nino’s Albrecht was Lasha Khozashvili, an elegant curly haired dancer who also comes from the capital and studied at the Chabukiani School before joining the company in 2002. He was made leading soloist in 2004 and has performed most of the leading roles in the company’s repertoire of 29 ballets. He has also danced as a guest with the Bolshoi Ballet, with American Ballet Theatre and at the Mariinsky Theatre. Lasha has an older brother in the company David, equally tall and equally curly headed, who has been a principal since 2001. When they are on stage together (David was performing in the Pas de Six in this Giselle), they look identical—which confused a few of the matinee audience!

   
Wilis in The State Ballet of Georgia Giselle
© State Ballet of Georgia

Lasha Khozashvili has a refinement that makes him a princely Albrecht— and his costume made him far better turned out than the locals, who themselves were in their Sunday best of spanking white tights and dresses to go grape picking! He has long slim legs that fly high which always pleases audiences soars in his jumps, and his jetes across stage are swift, fully stretched and sharp. He also turns well. However, his characterization could have been a little stronger. In Act 1 his Albrecht appeared more fascinated by Giselle’s charisma than showing any passion for her. In the ‘mad’ scene, he stood by and watched, reacting only when Giselle came near and there was no regretful final backwards glance when he was scuttled off stage by Wilfred. Happily in Act 2 he was more convincing, showing deep grief for his part in what had evolved. His final moments alone on stage evidenced Albrecht’s realization of, and gratitude for, Giselle’s protection in the Wilis’ world and left a lump in many a throat. Myrthe was danced at the matinee by Nino Ochiauri who gave an authoritative and chilling performance. She joined the company in 1993 for a year, then danced with the theatre’s Academy of Renaissance Ballet under the direction of Nikolai Fadeyechev –ex Bolshoi Ballet principal and partner of Galina Ulanova. She then rejoined the main company and since 2004 has been a soloist. In this production by Alexei Fadeyechev, son of Nikolai and ex Bolshoi director and principal, and long time partner of Nina Ananiashvili, Myrthe is given few of the roller blade bourees in her first entrance—in fact the stage seems regularly bare in those first moments as she appears and disappears. However, the bourees that she did do were mill-pond smooth, she showed excellent control in her penches and appeared to float in her jumps while retaining the imperious manner. She was definitely a spirit for men to fear.

Throughout the performance, there were evidences of artistic director Nina Ananiashvili’s Bolshoi based coaching—large expansive movements, fearless leaps, long lyrical arms with pointed index finger and unhurried steady technique—which gave the whole company polish and style. The State Ballet of Georgia’s first visit to the Edinburgh Festival, and indeed the UK, was a big success and hopefully, it will not be its last as it is a company well worth seeing.