Giselle with Cuban Temperament: The National Ballet of Cuba at the Mariinsky Theatre

On 24 September, the Mariinsky Theatre welcomed distinguished guests: the National Ballet of Cuba. The performance took place as part of the programme of the 12th St Petersburg International Cultural Forum, and the company chose the classical ballet Giselle, which has long been almost as beloved by Russian audiences as their own.

The history of Cuban ballet dates back to 1948. Its founder, the legendary Alicia Alonso, returned to her homeland after triumphantly conquering American stages, determined to fulfil her dream of putting Cuba on pointe. Interestingly, a Russian figure was indirectly involved in the creation of Cuban ballet: it was under the guidance of Nikolai Yavorsky, a sensitive teacher and Russian émigré, that the young Alicia began her dance training.

At the age of eleven, she made her debut in the solo role of the Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. However, Alonso soon realised that she had exhausted the opportunities available to her in Cuba and that it was time to move forward. Thus, the artist and her husband, Cuban dancer Fernando Alonso, set off for the United States. There, Alicia had the good fortune to perform in ballets by Michel Fokine, Léonide Massine and George Balanchine.

After a period of working in the United States, where Alonso collaborated with outstanding ballet masters, she decided to return to her homeland and lay the foundations of classical dance there. The ballerina made tremendous efforts to establish her own company, the Alicia Alonso Ballet. Having weathered the turbulence of the Cuban Revolution, the company received state financial support and was granted national status.

Alicia Alonso brought a fresh perspective to the masterpieces of the world ballet repertoire while also giving Cuban choreographers room to explore their creativity. And now, more than half a century later, her legacy continues to flourish: her dancers tour the world, remaining faithful to tradition while embracing experimentation.

The choice of Giselle was probably no coincidence. First, the masterpiece by Perrot, Coralli and Petipa is one of the favourite ballets of Russian audiences. Second, this Romantic work played a pivotal role in Alonso's own life.

In the 1940s, before returning to Cuba, Alicia had undergone a series of exhausting and unsuccessful eye operations, having begun to lose her sight rapidly due to a detached retina. Yet she made a triumphant return to the stage in Giselle, replacing the ailing Alicia Markova. This not only allowed the artist to reassert herself on the international stage but also helped her become the leading ballerina of an American company.

According to Alonso, she painstakingly developed the character of the peasant girl in love, absorbing the experience of legendary interpreters such as Anna Pavlova, Carlotta Grisi and Galina Ulanova. As a result, the Havana company's repertoire was enriched with a new version of Giselle.

When staging the ballet, the ballerina did not seek to experiment. Her principal aim was to preserve the tradition established by the ballet's creators, Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli, while infusing the choreography with Cuban temperament.

The Cuban Giselle is distinguished by an exuberance of emotion and movement: dizzying pirouettes and tours en l’air from the soloists, Albrecht’s passionate jetés en tournant, and Giselle’s unwavering arabesques penchés! The corps de ballet dancers were equally impressive, creating a dynamic image of merciless Wilis, ready to dance anyone who disturbs their peace to death.

As Annette Delgado, who performed the title role, remarked: "We have brought you a familiar Giselle in an unfamiliar version." The difference in interpretation is undoubtedly there: "our" Giselle is more "northern" and restrained. Yet the characters of the two heroines, Cuban and Russian, are remarkably alike.

Both versions reveal a powerful inner strength, an unshakable belief in the triumph of light over darkness, and the heroine’s ability to rise from the ashes while preserving her pride and dignity. There is just one difference: the Cuban Giselle saves, while the Russian Giselle forgives.

As a devoted admirer of Giselle, I cannot help but mention two more elements that deeply impressed me.

First and foremost, artist Salvador Fernández created minimalist sets imbued with the aesthetics of the Romantic era. Particularly striking was the backdrop in the second act, depicting a medieval church and following the original concept of Théophile Gautier, one of the authors of the libretto.

According to the French poet’s vision, the ghosts of deceased brides gather at midnight in a cemetery beside a Gothic church. Few contemporary designers dare to adhere so faithfully to the original concept. This subtle homage to the French heritage of the ballet did not go unnoticed.

Finally, the evening's delightful finishing touch was the striking Idalgué Marchetti, who conducted the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. Female conductors remain relatively uncommon in the Russian musical tradition, and Marchetti’s confident, expressive approach to leading the orchestra added a special charm to the evening.

Marchetti makes no secret of her love for Russian classical music. One day, she hopes to conduct Sergei Prokofiev’s score for Romeo and Juliet — a lovely compliment to Russian culture.

The company’s general director, Viengsay Valdés, wearing a flowing dress in a delicate shade that made her look like one of the Wilis, confessed with evident emotion: "We want to show the discerning Russian audience a diamond of Cuban ballet."

Indeed, it was not merely a diamond, but a collection of Balanchine-worthy jewels.

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Text: Yanina Nachkebiya

Photo: press department of the Mariinsky Theatre