Featured image: Lowri Simmons

From daylight to dark, The Palace Theatre comes to life through the art of ballet. Giselle tells the story of a simple village girl betrayed by her love, Albrecht: a timeless tale of love, betrayal, and infatuation. 

aAh! Magazine spends the day with The English National Ballet as they prepare for the opening of Giselle at The Palace Theatre.

11:30am: Final rehearsal

The indistinct chatter and laughter amongst the dancers come to a halt as the sound of the piano, played by Senior Company Pianist, Julia Richter, signifies the beginning of closed rehearsals. 

Repetiteur Lauren Guilbaud leads the class, and the magic of the ballet immediately comes to life. As Guilbaud parades the stage, weaving between each dancer, their technique and precision grow sharper as the cast comes together with complete professionalism. The dancer’s ability to focus on their own movements, whilst working the stage in perfect unison, is mesmerising. Their strength, poise, and passion is truly inspirational. 

From above in box 3, the empty seats and stripped-back production of closed rehearsals provide a tranquil quality to the theatre; a world away from the livelier show the dancers open with later in the evening. 

7:30pm: Giselle premiers

Lead Principal Erina Takahashi enters the stage as Giselle, filling the theatre with real-life magic. The buzz of the audience slows as Takahashi takes the role, blanketing The Palace Theatre with palpable talent. 

As Act 1 gets underway, it becomes clear that everything about the production – from the set to the costume design to the choreography – is vital in bringing the show together. Each piece of the ballet jigsaw is used to craft magic and wonder for the audience. The attention to detail is magnificent; the wooden cottage placed stage right creates that euphoric, fairy tale feeling, and alongside the intricacy of the beautiful costumes designed by Rosie Armitage, Amanda Barrow, and Helen Beasley, it all brings the ballet to life. 

Musical Director Maria Seletskaja’s phenomenal orchestra fills the theatre with sound, completely immersing the audience in music. The impressive volume and emotion evoked by the instruments reveal just how important the musical element is in the storytelling of ballet, and in the way the audience experiences the art. 

Throughout the ballet, the dancers use mime to engage the audience and maintain their focus on the storyline. Character Hilarion, brought to life by dancer Henry Dowden, expertly uses mime to break the fourth wall and to communicate to Giselle that her love, Albrecht, is not who he claims to be. The combination of music, dancing, and mime in Giselle powerfully conveys the story to the audience in a captivating and emotive way. 

Act 2 commences and the stage adopts a ghostly energy as the audience is taken on an eerie journey into the woodlands to find Giselle’s grave. The costumes in Act 2 are stunning; crisp white dresses represent Slavic folklore legends ‘Wilis’ – brides who have died before their wedding night. Hilarion mourns at Giselle’s grave, the dancers moving elegantly around him. 

As the curtain falls, the audience rise, bathing the theatre in applause. No longer captivated by the dancing, spectators murmur in awe. Remarks of “how incredible”, and “their talent is amazing” can be heard throughout the stalls, and the standing ovation speaks for itself.

A night at the ballet brings so much joy and a profound sense of community. Mary Skeaping’s Giselle did not disappoint, and the entire cast and crew of The English National Ballet created an inspiring and enchanting atmosphere that is well worth experiencing. 

The English National Ballet’s production of Giselle will be at the London Coliseum from 15th-18th January 2025 and it’s not one to miss! Follow @EnglishNationalBallet and @palaceandopera on Instagram to see where the production goes next and what other events are coming up at The Palace Theatre.