Monday 10 December 2012

The Royal New Zealand Ballet's Giselle

Gillian Murphy PHOTO Ross Brown
Gillian Murphy (Principal Guest Artist) Photo: Ross Brown
I love ballet.  For those of you who were not following this blog at this time last year we went to see, and I blogged about, Sleeping Beauty at the Napier Municipal Theatre.  I am fortunate enough to be able to see more ballet here than I would ever be likely to see in the UK.  As soon as the annual programme is announced and the tickets are put on sale I immediately book the seats.  So the best seats in the house for next March and November are already booked and paid for.  Early bird, worm and all that.  So on Saturday the cream linen jacket came out once more.  It's one of the few occasions when, on the whole, I see people, relatively speaking, dressed up in Napier.

The ballet on Saturday night was Giselle which has had rave reviews. In my humble opinion well deserved rave reviews.  I had not seen it before although I know Adam's music for the ballet well.  The Royal New Zealand Ballet's Giselle web site is has more information.  Their 2013 programme and information is here.  

This post probably sounds like an advertisement and, in a way, it is.  I appreciate that relatively few of my readers are from New Zealand but whereever you are if you want to see artistes with this sort of athletic ability and poise then go to the ballet:

News Image
Advertising Photo for Royal New Zealand Ballet
Information: The images on this blog are from widely publicised sources.  I do not hold the copyright but am working on the basis that as they are being used to further the aims for which they have been distributed that will be acceptable.  If it's not I will happily remove them.

8 comments:

  1. I love ballet, too. There is a precious memory stored in my mind from my late teens when I was given tickets to an unforgettable performance of Sleeping Beauty in Stuttgart, by the Stuttgart Ballet. Since then, I have seen several more such wonderful performances, and hope to see more some time next year.

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    1. There are some performance of ballet or opera or whatever that stick with us for ever and I'm glad that you too, Meike, have experienced that with the ballet.

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  2. The first image is stunning. Well worth the hours of work.

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    1. It's the knowledge as well as the work that I admire Adrian. That's where you leave me far behind. I've been saying for far too long now that I must make time......

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    2. I'm not that good either in conception or execution.
      It's not perfect the dancer looks a bit plonked on. She needs a bit of subtle tree shadow on her. The frock bit is magical as is it's trace.

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  3. Love love love the ballet...glad you enjoyed the evening's performance of Giselle and got the chance to get all dressed up.

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  4. I was never all that fascinated by ballet - or any kind of dancing, come to think of it. But I then I never really had the chance to see a professional ballet live. So what it comes down to really is that ballet does not keep me glued to the TV. I'm glad you enjoyed your evening out!

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  5. Hey! The trouble with you being in New Zealand, by the time I can comment, it is already the next day where you are!
    I LOVE ballet too! We have the most wonderful production of The Nutcracker in Atlanta. We were able to take C. as a youngster along with his grandparents from England when they came for a visit. The dancing, the costumes, the music, and the story! All combine to make for an unforgettable experience!
    (I had seen it for many years, and always looked forward to it. It THRILLS me the way that each movement is perfectly orchestrated to the music. HOW can anyone NOT love it?)
    Years ago, when I was with my little sister watching the Disney film of "Sleeping Beauty", I fell in love with the music, having no idea that it was by Tchaikovsky.
    Sorry, I get carried away by ballet!

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