Giselle Act 2 Choreography

[Guest sylphide*4ever]

My artistic director announced that we will be putting on Giselle Act 2 for one of our events in the spring concert. What is the corps work like, and is it challenging? Are there any variations for "soloists" like those in La Bayadere? When does the pas de deux between Albrecht and Giselle occur? What is the role of the Queen of the Wilis and Zulma? Thanks in advance.

[Mel Johnson]

The Act II choreography for Giselle was originally by Jules Perrot (Giselle's solo work and pas de deux) and Jean Coralli (everything else). The work was restaged in Russia by Marius Petipa, the brother of the original Albrecht, Lucien Petipa. As such, he regularized the structure of the corps work and probably enhanced the technical work in the solos.

 

Moyna and Zulma are the two "lead Wilis" and have their own brief solo passages at the outset of the "Songs and Dances of the Wilis" section after Myrtha calls them all out. Myrtha (Queen of the Wilis) is a full-fledged ballerina role, and is exceedingly difficult to pull off, both from an acting and a dancing standpoint.

 

The corps work is extremely linear, musical, and regular, and is probably, with Swan Lake and La Bayadere, one of the most difficult things for a corps to do!

[Guest sylphide*4ever]

Thanks Major Johnson for the information~ I saw a Kirov production of Giselle on video today, and I was wondering which one is Moyna and Zulma. There were two brief solo passages; which is the first and second? Are there any differences in ranks? Thank you.

 

Veronica

[Mel Johnson]

Moyna dances first, then Zulma. They are equivalent ranks, usually soloists, but the classic rule of seniority would make Zulma slightly senior to Moyna. (The ranking dancer performs last) Nobody, but nobody pays attention to this rule anymore!