Five things you should know about Akram Khan’s Giselle

One of the most famous ballets in the world, Giselle premiered in 1841 and remained popular throughout nearly two centuries. Throughout the twentieth century, Giselle was staged in various contexts, altering the original tale to explore new perspectives. Among the most successful is Akram Khan’s reimagining, created in 2016 for English National Ballet.  Find out more about the unexpected elements of this iconic production and why you won’t want to miss it!

Where ballet meets kathak

One of the most unique features of this production is its movement style: Akram Khan’s Giselle is no ordinary ballet!

Akram Khan trained in kathak, one of the nine major forms of Indian classical dance, before learning contemporary dance. Kathak is known for its intricate footwork and hand gestures, which are often used to tell a story: the name itself derives from the Sanskrit word for ‘storyteller’.

For Giselle, Khan blended his distinctive movement style with classical ballet to powerful effect. In their 2019 review, The Observer wrote that “Khan braids contractions, spirals and quickfire footwork to create a rich weave of ballet and kathak styles”.

Getting to the pointe

The movement vocabulary for Giselle is derived from kathak and contemporary dance, but, in Act II, the female dancers perform on pointe. The effect is used to convey the mysterious nature of the Wilis.

For Khan, this was the first time using this iconic ballet effect. Rather than choreographing pointe work throughout the performance, he chose to have the dancers on pointe for the supernatural setting of Act II, when they portray the vengeful Wilis. “This act is so otherworldly, floating and spiritual”, Khan explained.  “How could I not use pointe shoes? They were developed for that purpose.”

A ballet reimagined

Traditionally, Giselle takes place during the wine festival of a village in medieval Rhineland –  as seen in our much-loved production by Mary Skeaping. Originally, the character of Giselle is a peasant girl who falls in love with a local duke, Albrecht, who hides his true identity from her, with tragic consequences. In the second act, she joins the Wilis – the ghosts of women who have been betrayed before their wedding.

Akram Khan’s Giselle takes this narrative but roots it in a contemporary world, exploring modern day themes and bringing new resonance.

Rather than peasants and noble people in a rural idyll, Giselle is a member of the Outcasts, a community of migrant factory workers who live by a huge wall. Albrecht belongs to the wealthy, privileged Landlords: he passes for an Outcast in order to live his love story with Giselle. When he is unmasked, her fate is sealed.

The Wilis are now women who have died in unsafe factories – where labour is seen as cheap and easily replaceable by those who benefit from exploitation.

The issues of global wealth, inequality, and violence against women turn the timeless story of Giselle into something that speaks profoundly to audiences of today.

New score, familiar motifs

The score, composed by Vincenzo Lamagna, was commissioned specifically for this production. Combining acoustic and electronic music with an industrial feel, it adds a distinctly foreboding layer to the story.

With the help of Gavin Sutherland, then-Music Director for ENB, this contemporary score was transcribed for the English National Ballet Philharmonic, who perform live throughout the run.

But it’s not all brand new. Lamagna retained elements of the original score by Adolphe Adam – which will be recognised by many an attentive ballet fan – and incorporated these within the new accompaniment.

For example, the music for the Madness scene, at the end of Act I, is built on “a tiny fragment, an harmonic progression that I absolutely loved” in the original score, said Lamagna, who felt “we shouldn’t move from these four chords”. The result is a repetition of this chord progression, building and building, mantra-like, until the scene’s tragic ending.

A woman with agency

Classical ballets of the 19^th century reflected values of their time. The 1841 Giselle speaks to the female ideals of that period: she is delicate, fragile, and pure. In Akram Khan’s retelling, she is stronger, with agency and the confidence to know what she wants. For dancer Fernanda Oliveira, Giselle is looked up to by her community: “she wants to give hope that life is going to be better.”

The Wilis, the ghostly apparitions of Act II, are perhaps amongst the most memorable characters in ballet. Clad in long tutus and pointe shoes, they look almost bridal – rather fittingly, given that in many versions of the ballet, Wilis are the spirits of women who were abandoned before their wedding day. Akram Khan decided to forgo the romantic notion of haunting ghosts of heartbroken women. Instead, the Wilis are the spirits of factory workers who seek revenge for the wrongs done to them in life.

The leader among them is Myrtha – remorseless and cold, she carries a bamboo stick rather than an evergreen branch. More of a dark goddess, she drags Giselle’s lifeless body into the underworld.

Since its premiere in 2016, Akram Khan’s Giselle toured to 17 cities in 11 countries, to popular and critical acclaim. Experience Akram Khan’s bold reimagination of this classic story of love, betrayal, and redemption at Sadler’s Wells, 18 – 28 September 2024. Book your Giselle tickets now.