By BRUCE DENNILL
Joburg Ballet: Giselle / Staged by Angela Malan / Mandela, Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Sports fans will be familiar with the phenomenon of teams consolidating as they go through periods where established team members move on or new seasons begin with fresh administration or new strategies. To some degree, Joburg Ballet begins its 2026 season – in a year in which the company celebrates 25 years of existence, including in its initial incarnation as the South African Ballet Theatre – in that sort of scenario, following the recent departures of prominent soloists Savannah Ireland and Gabriel Fernandes (new career opportunities) and stalwart marketing administrator Jonathan Hurwitz (retirement).
Observing how teams are structured with their new starting line-ups is always intriguing for fans, and this is also the case here. Principal dancers Ryoko Yagyu and Ivan Domiciano played the lead roles of Giselle and Albrecht respectively on opening night, with the petite Yagyu well matched (artistically and physically) by the elegant, compact Domiciano.
Giselle’s first act, like many classical ballets, involves scenes in which the major characters are established while the communities in which they exist are presented in large ensemble dances in which the whole company is on stage. Giselle, a young peasant girl, is admired by both a local forester, Hilarion, and Albrecht, a nobleman who pretends to be a peasant so as not to alienate her. As Hilarion, Mario Gaglione is excellent, his acting laying out the intrigue of the scenes – researching and revealing the identity of his rival suitor – in clear, decisive terms.
In choreographic terms, the Peasant Pas de Quatre is the highlight of the first act, with the experienced Bruno Miranda and Chloe Blair maintaining their usual high standard. Alongside them, Miles Carrott and Savannah Jacobson impress hugely as partners, suggesting exciting possibilities for the future.
It is Giselle’s second act that sets it apart from other major ballets, rich in atmosphere, drama, tragedy and downright spookiness. Johan Engels’ set doesn’t change too much between acts – a couple of cottages disappear. But the subdued lighting and the rising and retreating smoke filling the clearing in front of Giselle’s grave create a mood in which the arrival of ghosts – the ethereal Wilis – feels, if not expected, then at least appropriate to the context.
The entrance of Myrthe, Queen of the Wilis (Tammy Higgins) sets the tone, with the extraordinary floating movement achieved by taking endless tiny steps on pointe and the stiff, upright posture of the character at once eerie and thrilling to watch. Her choreographic authority is matched by the equally statuesque Cristina Nakos and Gabrielle Ghiaroni as the Queen’s assistants. In contrast, Yagyu’s movements as her ghost interacts with the heartbroken Albrecht are (relatively) warmer, helping to communicate the regret for what could have been – even if the Wilis in general are less generous, having already danced Hilarion into his own grave.
The second act also showcases, in the gorgeous corps choreography in which the stage is filled with ever-shifting configurations of dancers in identical, shimmering, wraithlike white, that this incarnation of Joburg Ballet has much to offer.