South African choreographer Dada Masilo is not afraid of reinventing a classic. Her Swan Lake, which opened Sadler’s Wells Sampled in 2014, placed her male Odile in pointe shoes.
For Giselle, Masilo places the definitive Romantic heroine in South Africa. Deserted by her lover, Giselle, danced by Masilo herself, is guided by a Sangoma, a traditional healer, in a trailblazing feminist take on the classical ballet.
Featuring a contemporary score by South African composer Philip Miller, which pays homage to the Adolphe Adam’s score, and traditional Tswana dance styles, Masilo’s Giselle is a fearless exploration of betrayal and revenge.