The tradition of Giselle, one of the greatest and most popular classical ballets (182 years old) is maintained by the simplicity of the plot and the beauty of the music and choreography. And it is the show that opens the season of the Ballet at Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, from the 5th to the 15th of April.
Here in Miscelana, Giselle is a recurring theme, analyzing interpreters, history, and characters. The current season at the Brazilian Ballet company highlights the in-house artists, without foreign guests, and marks the last interpretation of prima ballerina, Cláudia Mota, in the title role.
Giselle‘s first performance on the Rio de Janeiro stage was in 1913, during the Ballets Russes tour of South America, with the legends Tamara Karsavina and Vaslav Nijinsky as stars.
The first local production only took place in the 1950s, with Tatiana Leskova and Berta Rosanova alternating as the peasant heroine. In the 1980s, a time of great popularity in Brazilian classical dance, the local Ballet Company started to use the London Royal Ballet version, signed by Peter Wright, with seasons that alternated big names in world dance at the time with local stars.
I saw Giselles by Nora Esteves, Aurea Hammerli, Cecilia Kerche, and Ana Botafogo several times, which always moved me. In 1984, the season featured the legendary Fernando Bujones, who danced with Ana on one of the company’s most memorable nights, immortalized by the TV recording that can still be found online. More recently, Marcelo Gomes led the season alongside current stars Claudia Motta and Márcia Jacqueline.
The current season brings soloists Claudia Mota, Márcia Jaqueline, Juliana Valadão, Marcella Borges, Manuela Roçado, Cícero Gomes, Filipe Moreira, and Rodrigo Hermesmeyer. Before each performance, there will be a free lecture, one hour before each show, where artists and historians will talk about various topics related to Giselle. Tickets are now on sale
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