Download GISELLE 9 May > 24 May His Majesty‟s Theatre with WASO

GISELLE
9 May > 24 May
His Majesty‟s Theatre with WASO
Choreography: Based on the original by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. Restaged by Aurelien
Scannella and Sandy Delasalle
Music: Adolphe Adam
Set and Costumes: Based off original design by Peter Cazalet
Lighting: Jon Buswell
Conductor: Wolfgang Heinz
BIOGRAPHIES
Aurélien Scannella
Aurélien Scannella was born in Mons, Belgium. He completed his training at the prestigious
Royal Ballet School of Flanders and was subsequently accepted into the Royal Ballet of
Flanders. After three years in Flanders he was appointed as a Soloist, Deutsche Oper am
Rhein, and then gained Principal Dancer positions with the State Theatre Weisbaden,
Deutsche Oper Berlin and Ballett Basel.
His repertoire includes all of the major classical ballets, as well as extensive experience in
contemporary styles by working with choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Angelin Preljocaj,
William Forsythe, Hans van Manen, Maurice Bejart, Ray Barra, Valery Panov, Mauro
Bigonzzettti, Nacho Duato, Heinz Spoerli, Richard Wherlock, Uwe Scholz, Paolo Bortoluzzi,
Tomasz Kajdanski, and including several Balanchine works.
During his dance career Aurélien participated in a number of international galas and festivals
around the world. For two years he took part in the “World Ballet Stars Festival” in Kiev
where he presented the duo from William Forsythe‟s acclaimed In the middle, somewhat
elevated with the French star dancer and wife, Sandy Delasalle. This was the first time the
duo was presented in the Ukraine, which was received as revolutionary by the press and
media.
Aurélien also participated in a number of benefit galas for AIDS and cancer, performing
various roles such as Le Corsaire, Gopak Variation, Swan Lake, Giselle and Don Quichotte
pas de deux.
For two years Aurélien was also a member of the Berlin based “Gregor Seyffert & Company”
and participated in the European tour of Juan Carlos Garcia‟s Light in Shadows.
In 2008 he decided to retire from his dancing career to focus on teaching. Quickly, Aurélien
became one of the most sought after Ballet Masters on the market.
Since then he has worked as a guest Ballet Master for Ballet Preljocaj, Scapino Ballet,
National Ballet of Portugal, Dutch National Ballet, Ballet d‟Europe, Béjart Ballet Lausanne,
Bordeaux Opera Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet,
National Ballet of Estonia and Ballet du Rhin.
He has also taught master classes in Brussels, Paris, Rotterdam, Cannes and Tokyo.
Sandy Delasalle
Sandy was born in Cannes, France. She completed her training at the Centre International
de Danse – Rosella Hightower and at the Académie de danse classique – Princesse Grace
in Monte Carlo. At the age of 17 Heinz Spoerli noticed Sandy at the Prix de Lausanne and
offered her a soloist contract with the Basler Ballet. Five years later Sandy was appointed as
a Principal dancer, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, followed by the State Theatre Weisbaden,
Deutsche Oper Berlin and joined the Ballet du Rhin after the birth of her son.
Her repertoire includes the major roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Giselle,
Sleeping Beauty, Romeo & Juliet, La Sylphide, La Fille mal gardée and Coppelia, as well as
working extensively with great contemporary choreographers since her debut including
Maurice Béjart, Nacho Duato, Hans Van Manen, William Forsythe and Jiří Kylián.
During her dance career Sandy was a special guest artist with Ballett Frankfurt under the
direction of William Forsythe to perform In the middle, somewhat elevated, as well as Uwe
Scholz in Leipzig, Youri Vámos in Dusseldorf and Richard Cragun in Berlin. In 1997, she
was nominated Best Upcoming Dancer from international ballet critics. She has also
participated in a number of international galas and festivals in New York (Metropolitan
Theatre), Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Kiev, Madrid, Istanbul, Paris, Los Angeles and Taipei performing
various roles such as Bahkti, In the middle, somewhat elevated, Giselle, Swan Lake and
Romeo & Juliet with her husband Aurélien Scannella.
Jean Coralli
Jean Coralli was born in Paris on 15 January 1779, the son of a comedian from Bologna,
Italy. He died in Paris in 1854, at the age of 75. Coralli studied at the ballet school of the
Paris Opera and made his stage debut as a dancer and choreographer in Vienna. He
danced briefly at the Paris Opera and then joined Sebastien Gallet‟s company at the King‟s
Theatre in London, before returning to Vienna as ballet master at the Hoftheater (Court
Theatre). In his early years he and his wife Teresa were a celebrated dancing couple and
they were often pictured together in contemporary prints.
From 1831 to 1850 Coralli was the premier maitre de ballet at the Paris Opera where he
created a number of important ballets among them Giselle, Le Diable Bouteux, Le Tarentule,
and La Peri. The pinnacle of his choreographic career was Giselle in 1841. He first heard
about the scenario from Jules Perrot and composer Adolphe Adam. Coralli‟s last ballet was
Ozaii in 1847. He continued as principal ballet master at the Paris Opera until 1850 when he
retired.
Jules Perrot
Perrot was born in Lyon, France in 1810 and died in Brittany in 1892 at the age of 82. In
Degas‟ painting of the Paris Opera in ballet class, Perrot features as the teacher.
His father was a machinist in the theatre and he encouraged Perrot to become a dancer. He
made his first stage appearance at the age of eight, and first performed in Paris at 13. Perrot
then studied to become a polished classical dancer, and appeared in theatres in Paris and
London before debuting at the Paris Opera. While no one equalled him in virtuoso, he was
not physically attractive, and as a result was passed over for a number of principal ballet
roles at the Paris Opera. He achieved great success as a choreographer and dancer
throughout Europe, and while in Naples noticed Carlotta Grisi, and became her teacher and
fiancé.
Perrot regretted not being a member of the Paris Opera, and he consoled himself with
having Grisi there and arranging her steps for her Paris Opera debut. The scenario for
Giselle was given to Grisi directly and Perrot began working on her choreography for Giselle
before he was given the official task of arranging her role anonymously. Despite the success
of Giselle, Perrot‟s hopes of a permanent position at the Paris Opera remained unfulfilled.
He returned to London where he produced Giselle at Her Majesty‟s Theatre in 1842, and
went on to be engaged as a choreographer and dancer throughout Europe for more than 20
years. A serious injury in 1843 prevented him from dancing virtuoso roles but he continued
to appear on stage until the end of his career. Very little of Perrot‟s choreography survives,
but his works form a significant part of the ballet tradition. He extended the art of
choreography further than any of his contemporaries and is acknowledged as the master of
the Romantic ballet.
Adolphe Adam
Adolphe Charles Adam was born in Paris in 1803, and he died there in 1856 at the age of
52. His father, Louis Adam, taugh piano studies at the Paris Conservatoire and his mother
was the daughter of a notable physician. His father didn‟t want him to enter the music
profession, but Adam ignore this and studied piano, organ and composition at the
Conservatoire from 1821. Adolphe Adam wrote 40 operas, 14 ballets and numerous light
operas and vaudevilles, and was known for his ability to work quickly.
Giselle was Adam‟s third score for the Paris Opéra, and his own records mention Giselle
took eight days to complete. Shortly after the successful Giselle, Adam had a falling out with
a new Director at the Paris Opéra. Undeterred, Adam opened his own theatre in Paris, the
Théâtre National, but was left in massive debt when it was forced to close the following year.
All his royalties went to pay off the debt and Adam turned to journalism to make money. In
1849 he became Professor of Composition at the Paris Conservatoire. He eventually paid all
his debts, at great cost to his health.
Peter Cazalet
Born in 1934 in Kitwe, Zambia, Peter Cazalet was educated in Johannesburg and completed
a Bachelor of Architecture at Capetown University. Cazalet then made the switch to ballet
and moved to Britain to dance with the London Festival Ballet, Western Theatre Ballet, Ballet
Rambert and Scottish Ballet as a principal dancer. After injury forced his retirement, he then
concentrated on design.
Returning to Cape Town, Cazalet became Head of Design at the Opera House and over the
following years he designed ballets for many companies in the USA, Canada, the UK, New
Zealand, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Jon Buswell
Jon Buswell studied Design and Production Management at Croyden College, before
embarking on a highly successful career as a lighting designer in British theatre, opera,
ballet and television. Jon made his Australian debut for Melbourne Theatre Company‟s
production of The Glass Menagerie in 2004. Recent Australasian engagements include Love
Song, and The 39 Steps (Melbourne Theatre Company); A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(Sydney Theatre Company); The Glass Menagerie, Twelfth Night and Madagascar (Black
Swan State Theatre Company); Cosi fan tutte, and L’Incoronazione di Poppea (Victorian
Opera); La Bohéme, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Neon Lights, and La
Sylphide (West Australian Ballet); Raymonda, Constant Variants, Symphonie Fantastique,
and Interplay (The Australian Ballet) and Giselle, Swan Lake Don Quixote, La Sylphide,
Peter Pan, and Sleeping Beauty (Royal New Zealand Ballet).
Wolfgang Heinz
Wolfgang Heinz was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, and grew up in Munich.
After completing his studies (conducting and piano) at the Cologne Conservatory, he began
his career in 1991 as a conductor and pianist and worked in several German opera houses
including Beyerische Staatsoper Munich, Aalto Theatre Essen, and Hagen.
From 1996 to 1999 he was Music Director for the musicals Sunset Boulevard (Webber) and
Miss Saigon and in 2000 he started at the State Opera Stuttgart, conducting Tosca,
Tannhäuser, The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Hänsel and Gretel and many others.
A year later he was also appointed Music Director of the „Young Opera Company‟ Stuttgart.
In 2001, he started conducting for ballet with the Stuttgart Ballet, and his ballet repertoire
includes Romeo and Juliet (Vámos), The Taming of the Shrew (Cranko), The Sleeping
Beauty, Swan Lake, Onegin (Cranko), La Sylphide, Gaité Parisienne (Offenbach/Bejart),
Seventh Symphony by Beethoven (Scholz), La fille mal gardée, Giselle, and further
important ballets with symphonic scores including The Rite of Spring and Bolero by Ravel,
Violin Concerto by Tchaikovsky, and 2nd Piano Concerto by Brahms.
Since 2006 Wolfgang has held the position of Assistant Music Director for the Stuttgart
Ballet. He has also conducted further Symphony Orchestras including Orquestra Sonfónica
Portuguesa (Portugal), Opera Ankara (Turkey), Mexico City, Orchestre Colone (Opéra
Paris), Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, New City Orchestra Tokyo (Asami Maki Ballet), Osaka
Philharmonic Orchestra at Teatro Real Madrid, Staatkapelle Dresden, Württembergische
Philharmonie Reutlingen and Staatstheater Wiesbaden. He conducted the Royal Sinfonia
Orchestra in London in 2008, conducting Romeo and Juliet at the London Coliseum and
regularly conducts for the Birmingham Royal Ballet. He has also conducted Romeo and
Juliet for Deutsche Oper Berlin and La Fille mal gardée for the Bavarian State Opera
Munich.
Wolfgang Heinz is also a busy solo pianist for vocal recitals and chamber music.