Giselle

Since her appointment as artistic director and lead principal dancer of The English National Ballet in 2012, Tamara Rojo has repeatedly lived up to her ambition to re-invigorate traditional works and push the boundaries of ballet. This extraordinary re-imagining of Giselle is another triumph, revealing the true power of cross fertilisation between cultures and art-forms. The combination of Akram Khan’s direction and choreography, Vincenzo Lamagna’s score and Tim Yip's design is a stroke of genius by Tamara Rojo. Dug from diverse traditions, their new creation is entirely modern and utterly ancient.

As well as new movement and music the ballet has a new context, set in an abstract contemporary world of migrant workers in huge textile factories, overseen by the glittering rich owners, born of globalisation. Like the original, Khan’s Giselle is in love with Albrecht, a member of the wealthy class and the nineteenth century narrative structure is retained, act one and two representing distinct worlds of life and death.

Tim Yip’s costume and set are deceptively simple and very beautiful. The wall that divides the two worlds is heavy and intractable at first then suddenly light enough to spin for the lovers to reach each other even after death. Khan’s female factory workers have died from over-work or accidents rather than love, yet the two narrative possibilities combine to enrich the original.

Akram Khan’s was a bold choice of director/choreographer for the English National Ballet. Trained in North Indian Kathak and contemporary dance, he had never actually worked with point before and the entire first act is performed in soft shoes. The ensemble like deer leaping across the stage one minute and twisting to the rhythms of factory work the next. Hands and feet and point work itself take on rich symbolism and play a part in the storytelling. In act one their hands repeatedly reach up to fit the hand prints of forgotten workers on the great wall. In the 'ghost factory' of act two, Giselle is literally dragged onto point into the painful afterlife where all the dead female factory workers are stiffly raised above the ground, gripping rods reminiscent of old looms, their weapons of revenge.

It’s composer Vincenzo Lamagna’s first ballet and using Adolphe Adam original score as a reference he shows no sign of fear. His score is visceral and emotive. Darkly oppressive and all consuming at times – yet carefully dosed so that just as it threatens to overwhelm, the sound drops away and a breath is felt across the stage and out into the auditorium. The industrial soundscapes occasionally crystalise into a familiar lyrical line to extraordinarily beautiful effect.

Khan’s ‘Giselle’ is bold and immersive. Thrilling, accessible Ballet with a conscience - yes, that really can exist.