Boston Ballet Presents GISELLE

Boston Ballet opens its 56th season with Giselle, one of the most beloved and enduring cornerstones of classical ballet. Legendary Boston Ballet ballerina and Ballet Master Larissa Ponomarenko passes the torch to the next generation of dancers with her adaptation of this historical masterpiece. Giselle runs September 19-29 at the Citizens Bank Opera House.

"Giselle is the foremost romantic ballet in the classical repertoire. It has been ten years since Boston Ballet last performed Giselle, so its return is long anticipated and welcome," said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. "As a legendary ballerina and an incredible interpreter of the iconic role of Giselle, Larissa has an intimate knowledge of this ballet. She is well poised to showcase the dramatic and technical dexterity from the principal roles, and the power, strength, and skill of the female corps de ballet."

Giselle is the story of a young peasant girl with a weak heart and a passion for dancing who dies of heartbreak after learning her love, Prince Albrecht, was engaged to another woman. In Act II, the Wilis, ghosts of women who died before their wedding day betrayed by their lovers, summon Giselle from her grave to join their sisterhood. The powerful Wilis vengefully force any man they encounter to dance to his death. The title role has been a touchstone in the legacy of great ballerinas, who master the technical demands and emotional depth.

Set to Adolphe Adam's poignant score and originally choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, Giselle made a triumphant world premiere in Paris on June 28, 1841. The ballet underwent a dramatic transformation when Marius Petipa staged the ballet in Russia twice in the 1880s and again in 1899. Adolphe Adam was a prolific French composer who composed 46 operas and 16 ballets, including Giselle and Le Corsaire. His musical composition for Giselle reportedly was composed in three weeks. Boston Ballet's Music Director Mischa Santora will conduct the Boston Ballet Orchestra, the second largest musical organization in New England.

Ponomarenko danced with Boston Ballet for 18 years as a principal dancer before joining the artistic staff as Ballet Master in 2011. A graduate of Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Ponomarenko has appeared internationally in galas and as a guest artist with English National Ballet in London, NBA Ballet Company in Tokyo, Opera Theatre of Rome, and Teatro Comunale of Florence. She was nominated for the Benois de la Danse award in 2005 and was awarded the E. Virginia Williams Inspiration Award in 1995 and the John W. Humphrey Medal of Honor in 2011.

All performances of Giselle take place at the Citizens Bank Opera House (539 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111):

Thursday, September 19 at 7:30 pm
Friday, September 20 at 7:30 pm*
Saturday, September 21 at 1:30 pm
Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, September 22 at 1:30 pm
Thursday, September 26 at 7:30 pm
Friday, September 27 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, September 28 at 1:30 pm
Saturday, September 28 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, September 29 at 1:30 pm

*Indicates post-show talk

Tickets start at $37 and go on sale August 12. For more information, visit bostonballet.org or call 617.695.6955.

Giselle is approximately two hours including one intermission.

Choreography: Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, Marius Petipa
Adapted by: Larissa Ponomarenko
Music: Adolphe Adam
Scenic and Costume Design: Peter Farmer
Lighting Design: Brandon Stirling Baker

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