Review of ENB’s ‘Giselle’: “Rapturous rupture”

The company starts its 2024/2025 season with Akram Khan’s modernist revision of Adolphe Adam’s piece. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this innovative approach on the classic dance work manages to stay on its toes.

They say that art is a breathing, living creature that keeps shifting through the waves of time. If that statement holds any speck of truth, Akram Khan might as well be the grand ambassador of its word. A name that many may associate with the revisionist power of his style, last night’s opening at the Sadler’s Wells brought a new layer to his already proven prowess – in what’s probably the strongest start of the season the English National Ballet has delivered in the last three years.

A dystopian look into Adolphe Adam’s classical piece, where sound and image merge  together in a perfect blend of contemporary minimalism, the montage is both a visual and musical tour de force – concocting a flawless, expressionist narrative that exudes visceral force and artistic delicacy, creating a highly gripping recount that constantly emanates the cinematic draw of the avant-garde.

Beautifully choreographed through an even combination of old-school and modern techniques, the production brings all of its elements together in absolute harmony – striking both the eyes and the heart through a consummate cadence of passion, elegance and deep-seated spectacularity. Featuring an austere yet highly dynamic set design by Tim Yip, the performance is able to effortlessly capture the viewer’s imagination from the very start – flaunting extraordinary costumes that complement the score’s artistry by bringing one of its own, while also presenting a remarkably intricate lighting design that builds, mixes, and elevates sentiment and atmosphere.

As for the company, the corps boasts absolute rapport, flair and, in almost every rendition,  coordination through the montage’s extremely demanding direction – an accomplishment that’s joyously matched by the lead trio. Presenting Erina Takahashi in the title role, accompanied by James Streeter as Albert and Ken Saruhashi as Hilarion, their interpretations enhanced their extremely competent technique through the flowing naturalness of their dancing – making of every gesture an elongation of their own souls.

Tampering with the classics is often disregarded by those who don’t believe in the plasticity of art. They have a reason to support the cause: many attempts in that field  have turned out to be excruciatingly terrible. But if there’s something that English National Ballet excels at (that, apart from their craftsmanship) is their ability to nurture the potential of any ouevre and channel it into new streams of ultimate wonder. You may have never thought of Giselle as the one you’ll find at the Sadler’s until next week, but once you’ve seen it, you’ll certainly won’t stop thinking about it. Pungent, piercing, and astoundingly intoxicating, this version wipes away any unnecessary coverings to introduce us to something as different as it is pure. It’s a work of roughness, and that’s exactly what makes it so gentle to the spirit.

All pictures credit to Camilla Greenwell.

Akram Khan’s Giselle plays at London’s Sadler’s Wells until 28 September. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara