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Paris Opera Ballet showcases perfection through 'Giselle'

연합뉴스 / 2023-03-10 11:26:54

▲This photo, provided by LG Art Center show performance done by Paris Opera Ballet. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, shows cast members of upcoming show Giselle. alongside art director of Paris Opera Ballet. (Yonhap)

SEOUL March 10 (Yonhap) -- Protagonist Giselle finds out that her loved one has a fiancée. From the trembling fingertips to the toes, and the expression full of sadness and confusion, the performer managed to fully express the complex emotion throughout the performance.

The Paris Opera Ballet's performance in South Korea in 30 years at LG Art Center Seoul on March 9 proved that the title "world's top" following the ballet company was not wrong.

Paris Opera Ballet, the world's oldest ballet company, is still highly regarded for its breathtaking skills, performing nearly 200 shows a year up to this day, rather than its long history of more than 350 years.

While preserving and recognizing the traditions and techniques of classical ballet, it respects the individuality of dancers and has widely digested modern dance repertoires.

The concert in South Korea, which took place in 30 years, was the first work to mark the start of LG Art Center Seoul's seasonal program "COMPAS 23," which opened last year.

At the concert, not only two of the lead dancers but also 50 of the total cast showcased flawless performance throughout the show, making the audience feel that the reputation of Paris Opera Ballet consists of each individual member's skills.

In the first act, where protagonist Giselle falls in love with Albrecht, an aristocratic young man who hides his identity, the ballet company showed the lively atmosphere of the rural village hosting a harvest festival with a lively dance performances.

The lively group dance of Act 1 which was full of joy, vitality, and youth of harvest, takes a sudden change after protagonist Giselle gets caught in a tragic death. The Act 2 changed to the miserable group of dance who depicted the wounded soul of woman "Willie" wondering around the forest by the grave.

The excitement of love, which was felt throughout the Act 1 gets replaced by the emotions caused by betrayal, wounds, and death gets expressed by dance moves such as quietly feet movements and weak and drowsy body movements.

Dozens of performers moved as if they had become a single living organism, surprising the audience by showcasing near perfect synchronization from head to toe.

Paris Opera Ballet's two principal dancers Miriam Uld-Braam and Germain Lube performed on stage as the main characters of the performance.

Etual, also called the "star" of Paris Opera Ballet, is a title that is provided to only a limited number of performers after they successfully pass the systematic promotion screening, and most of the principal dancers have made their name within the ballet community throughout the world.

Miriam and Germain, two of the performers who have performed the show, are also a well known dancers among ballet fans in Korea, and the enthusiastic response from the audience proved their popularity.

Despite of her small physical figures, Miriam's presence stood out even between the group dance with energy emitted with her feather-like light gestures. She was "Giselle" herself throughout the show. Throughout the performance performer managed to show her firm determination to protect the man she loves even though she trembled pitifully with a sense of betrayal.

Germain received a lot of cheers from the audience with his breathtaking skills such as his breathing techniques and his unwavering posture even in high-level jumps.

Throughout the conversation with the audience which took place after the performance, two dancers stated, "I was touched by the warmth of the Korean audience who actively responded," showing their affection for the audiences.

The Paris Opera Ballet's performance in South Korea will continue until the March 11.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Joonha Yoo)

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