SF Ballet: Giselle

On Tuesday night, I decided that I wanted to go see the San Francisco Ballet's production of Giselle. I had not bought season tickets because I wasn't sure what my teaching schedule would be but I definitely say that it is best to buy them in advance, otherwise you end up paying a higher price. I only wanted to see their "Classical" ballet package with 3 plays- Giselle, Balanchine, and Coppelia- and of course, the side orchestra seats for $80 were SOLD OUT so my sister Sarah and I did the more expensive seats in the Dress Circle. So, I ended up paying more for 3 shows than for 5 shows last year. At least I was certain that I would be able to attend these performances :-) The nice part about being farther back is that you can see the beautiful formations and just how well the dancers maintain these positions. The bad part is that you can't see their facial expressions, which is something that I liked about being so close. But, I am thrilled to be able to go to the ballet and NOT be in the balcony nosebleeds.

I have actually never seen Giselle which was first performed back in 1841 and it thus one of the classic ballets. I was not a fan of the first half- it was set in a country hamlet and while the dancing was good, it was just nothing out of the ordinary. It really was just like most of the classic ballet town showcases that I have seen before. BUT, the second half was MAGICAL. I would have been happy just seeing the second half. These ghost brides were so ethereal with these elaborate veils over their faces and hands that they swirled all around. And the formations of the corps de ballet were just beautiful. Giselle had movements as if she was in a dream (instead of dead :-) The costumes, scenery, and choreography were all just so incredibly well done- definitely worth it :-) And it was fun to see the show with my dancer sister who could tell me when she saw some steps that she had never seen before. I'm looking forward to the other two shows to come :-)