BYU Theatre Ballet is prepping for their second performance of the semester with a new romantic twist
The Theatre Ballet Company will be adding romance to their March 12 and 13 performances by taking on the physically demanding masterwork "Giselle" in addition to performing works by renowned choreographers José Limón and Paul Taylor.
“Giselle” tells the story of a peasant girl who falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman in disguise. When his deception is revealed and Giselle discovers he is already engaged to be married, she is driven to madness and dies of a broken heart. While visiting Giselle’s grave, Albrecht finds that she has become one of the Wilis — ghosts of young women, dead before their wedding day, who rise from the grave at night to dance. Myrtha, their queen, forces Albrecht to dance with the Wilis to the point of death, but the power of the couple’s love — and Giselle’s forgiveness — protects Albrecht until morning breaks.
Playing the role of Giselle are Ana Brooks and Alex Marshall.
“I think it’s been great for our company to step up to the task of taking on such a challenging work, both in the athleticism and artistry it requires,” said Brooks. “It’s impossible to do ‘Giselle’ well unless everyone onstage is committed 100 percent.”
“I always find that when I focus on the character and truly embody how she must feel, I don't focus on the exhaustion as much,” said Marshall.
Marshall and Brooks have been dancing together in Theatre Ballet since their freshman year at BYU. This is their third year performing with the company.
“I have learned so much from watching Ana dance. I think we rely on each other a lot for moral support. We feed off of each other's energy well and are always pushing each other to be better,” said Marshall.
Both women expressed their excitement and enthusiasm for getting the opportunity to play this role at such a young age, especially after having seen many of their ballet influences and dance idols perform in this gorgeous and timeless piece.
To watch the performance on March 12 at 7 p.m. and 13 at 11 a.m., viewers can visit the Dance Live Stream website.