Last Updated: Friday, August 29, 2008

Ballet Etudes’ Latest Giselle

By Tony Guzman

Dagmar Moradillos

By Tony Guzman
Performing Arts Critic 

With Giselle, their latest classic story ballet production at the Jackie Gleason Theater, Susana Prieto and her Ballet Etudes Company once again regaled us with a no holds barred, gorgeously costumed and designed extravaganza. Viewed in isolation, Dagmar Moradillos gave us perhaps her finest Giselle ever. Her hair lightened prettily, holding her piqués en arabesque with breezy surety, Dagmar captured the fresh bloom of youth in a way that warmed the heart. What distinguishes her Giselle, as opposed to others we’ve seen of late, is her prowess as a dance actor: the ability to enter into and convey the inner life of her character, rather than approaching the role primarily as a series of scripted dance challenges. Here she was paired with American Ballet Theatre’s Marcelo Lopez as the young duke Albrecht. Tall, light-leaping and skillful in partnering, Lopez approached the part in a naturalistic, contemporary mode that made the love story more accessible, in a way, but lacked the magic and sublime intensity of Moradillos’ work with New York City Ballet’s Charles Askegard. It takes two to tango, and, with Askegard, has had a partner with whom to push the envelope of the old story ballet acting style, with its rarified and melodramatically exaggerated emotions and effects, to the limit of its ability to thrill and move us. Lopez gave us an Albrecht who, while affable and charming, we sensed would be just as happy chugging beers and watching a Jets game with his buddies at a sports bar.

ABT’s Carlos Lopez impressed as the amorous gamekeeper Hilarion, Albrecht’s rough-hewn rival in love. He was quite convincing as a rustic bruiser one could well imagine wrassling a boar – not your usual pansy Hilarion. Besides leaping with flair, his performance was distinguished by some fine acting, particularly in Act II where he conveyed marvelously the bereaved gamekeeper’s confusion and desperation while dancing himself to death under the implacable Wilis’ spell.

Another especial highlight was the “Peasant Pas de Deux” featuring ABT’s Joaquin de Luz and Ballet Etudes fan favorite Jessica Lemoine. Not a big guy and ever-so-slightly unsure in his partnering, de Luz bowls you over with his youthful exuberance, panache and big-time personality plus. Throw in a dazzling Tom Cruise smile, which he lays on lavishly, and you have a showstopper. Lemoine has developed a new maturity and sophistication which, added to her signature hummingbird quickness and solidity on point, makes her even more appealing. De Luz and Lemoine made a delightful match chemistry-wise: her intriguing introversion and his outgoing bravado.

Etudes stalwart Isis Valle, gave us an earnest Berthe, Giselle’s solicitous mom, and Aimee Prieto was stunningly beautiful in red velvet and white satin as Albrecht’s glamorous fiancée Bathilde.

As usual, Ballet Etudes’ corps of student ballerinas did a fine job as the Wilis in Act II – a tough test, what with the demand for eerie calm amidst technical challenges – besides providing plenty of charming interplay and pleasing dance as the village girls of Act I.

Musical Director Alfredo Munar worked wonders with the Florida Classical Orchestra and Adolphe Adam’s marvelous, affecting score. It was as fine as we’ve heard FCO – including with Florida Grand Opera under various batons.

If the Moradillos/Lopez tandem didn’t quite match the magic and exhilaration of some previous Moradillos/Askegard pairings, this latest Ballet Etudes Giselle was winsome and satisfying nevertheless, and Moradillos is obviously better than ever.