Its always interesting to attend a performance by a visiting company of a familiar historical classical ballet as invariably there are subtle additions, and subtractions, in the visitors presentation.
Such was the case with the St Petersburg Ballet Theatres (SPBT) staging of Giselle, which ended on Sunday.
The scenario - remaining unaltered - concerns Giselle (Irina Kolesnikova), a frail peasant girl who, loved by the woodsman Hilarion (Dymchik Saykeev), believes that Loys the young man she loves is also a peasant.
When Hilarion discloses Loys to be Count Albrecht (Dmitrly Akulinin), a nobleman betrothed to Bathilda (Anastasia Khabarova), Giselle goes mad, dies and joins the supernatural world of the Wiis (Wills being maidens who dying before their wedding day rise nightly from their graves to dance and dance to death any man foolhardy enough to wander Into their glade).
Where SPBTs changes were most noticeable was in act one.
Here, time-honoured mime played a greater role than usual to clearly unfold the tale; Wilfred (Albrecht`s friend) took a larger part trying to dissuade Albrecht from his philandering; Hilarion was a young woodsman handsome and presentable enough to be a beau for Giselle; the peasant pas de deux (well executed by Sabina Yapparova and Andrey Yakhnuk) wasn`t danced as entertainment for Bathilda and her hunting party but was integrated into the peasant ensembles.
Considerably slower orchestral tempt tended to pitch the drama at one, rather bland, level. Nevertheless, that said, the Cape Philharmonic under the assured guidance of maestro Vadim Nikitin were in excellent form throughout.


Prima ballerina Kolesnikova and her partner Akulinin are completely in tune with each other. She is a consummate artiste. He, blessed with good looks and a superb technique, has developed his stage presence since appearing as Prince Siegfried in SPBT`s Swan Lake production last April. But it was in the second act that they both came into their own.


Here, Kolesnikova showed why she`s held in high esteem internationally. With exquisitely sensitive port de bras, delicate footwork and brilliant technical control she portrayed Giselle, the Wili, as both ethereal and illfated in her love for Albrecht. Together with Akulinin, she created heartbreakingly tender moments.


Adding to this acts artistic success was the corps who were more disciplined than In the first - where in their attractive costumes they appeared cramped and untidy - and an outstanding rendition by Yulla Petrova of Myrtha Queen of the Wilis.
Implacably cold and authoritative her pas de bourree couru were so tiny, her forward travelling movement was barely perceptible.


By necessity a touring company`s sets need to be adaptable. And SPBT`s rustic and woodland scenes are astutely designed by Viascheslav Okunev to fit on to any stage size. However, poor sight lines in both acts detracted from onstage happenings as it was possible to see entrances and exits from Giselles cottage. Also, in act two placing Giselles tombstone downstage made her rise from the grave very obvious.
Small, but important points, which need remedying for this Giselle to be as professional as one would expect from a company starring a ballerina of Kolesnikova`s stature and SPBT`s renown.