‘Giselle’ turns on the casts’ distinctive styles

How faulty memory can be. American Ballet Theatre’s “Giselle” seems always to be with us. But, in fact, the New York company last danced the romantic classic locally only in Orange County in 1993 and in San Diego in 2001. Such is the power of the historic partnerships who have danced the leads -- fill in your own blanks -- and the story that affirms love beyond the grave.

ABT brought four different “Giselle” casts to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion over the weekend in this attractive 1993 production utilizing dark colored autumnal sets created by Gianni Quaranta and lush costumes by Anna Anni to create the look of a 19th century storybook fairy tale.

The choreography, after Coralli, Perrot and Petipa, put emphasis on swift storytelling and moments of lyrical expansion underscored by Adolphe Adam’s rich music. The Friday night cast projected deeper emotional intensity into the work than did their Saturday night counterparts.

Julie Kent brought a rare complexity, depth and technical excellence to the title role on Friday. Whether in her shyness, delicate trust and committed love in Act I or her seeming weightlessness and projection of being a dead spirit in the second, Kent was riveting.

Jose Manuel Carreno was her enraptured Albrecht, passionately drawn to her and attentive in every respect. His virtuosity was always employed in amplifying his relationship with her.

On Saturday, Xiomara Reyes made Giselle more of a sunny, somewhat shy teenager. Even in death, she could not repress this human warmth or her natural sense of speed and precision in movement.

Angel Corella’s Albrecht, however, was a cool aristocratic cad. He had a hard time overcoming this sense of detachment and distance, although by the pas de deux in Act II, he had broken through to a more genuine vulnerability. Technically, he was impressive although occasionally heavy and effortful in elevation.

The lovers’ nemesis is Myrta, the Queen of the Wilis, or spirits of young women whose fiances have failed to marry them before their deaths. In revenge, Myrta demands the death of any man entrapped by them during their hours of power, from midnight to dawn.

Veronika Part danced the role Friday with sufficient authority. But Gillian Murphy on Saturday proved fearsome in technique and even more so in her embodiment of implacable evil.

Back to the human realm, Reyes and Herman Cornejo danced the Peasant pas de deux Friday with buoyant character and energy. Their Saturday counterparts were Maria Riccetto and Gennadi Saveliev, who danced with crisp and cool authority.

On both nights, a few dramatic touches brought occasional life to the otherwise generalized storytelling. One was the look of contempt that Jennifer Alexander, as Bathilde, Albrecht’s regal fiance, gave him when she discovered his duplicity with Giselle. Another was the haughty disdain that Victor Barbee, as the Prince of Courland, the regent of the area, showed toward his peasants.

Breaking into genuine anguish was Berthe, Giselle’s mother, grieving over her dead body -- Karin Ellis-Wentz on Friday, Susan Jones on Saturday. Unfortunately, neither Saveliev (Friday) nor Issac Stappas (Saturday) as Hilarion, the village huntsman and Giselle’s would-be suitor, invested the role with much personality. But both danced with power in their death scenes with the Wilis.

The corps sometimes looked more like a collection of dancers with disparate training than a unified ensemble in style and impulse. But the Wilis rose to the occasion.

Charles Barker conducted Friday night; David LaMarche conducted Saturday night. Both were energetic and lyrical, as required. Both also benefited from the sensitive second act solos by violinist Roland Oakland and cellist Steve Richards. But Barker led the more stupendous climax that accompanied the Wilis’ interlacing crisscrossing the stage, which always draws -- as it did on this occasion -- enthusiastic applause from the audience.

In addition to the casts reviewed, Amanda McKerrow and Maxim Beloserkozsky were scheduled to dance principal roles Saturday afternoon; Paloma Herrera and Marcelo Gomes, Sunday afternoon.