Creating a visual journey: Dutch National Opera & Ballet to present 'Giselle' at theaters on Jan. 21

Rachel Beaujean has brought dance to the stage both as a ballerina and as an artistic director for the Dutch National Opera & Ballet.

Her latest challenge was to bring a performance of “Giselle” to the screen for movie theaters.

The Dutch National Opera & Ballet will present “Giselle,” which was filmed especially for theaters on Sunday, Jan. 21. The theaters in Albuquerque that will screen the event are Century Rio 24, Cottonwood and Winrock 16. Tickets are on sale now at giselleballetcinema.com or at participating theaters.

“We recorded from various angles during the production,” Beaujean, who is now the associate art director at Dutch National Opera & Ballet. “They chose the best performance and intertwined some important moments.”

Bringing the magic of 'Giselle' to screens

“Giselle” tells the story of Giselle, who is a young peasant girl, who enjoys dancing.

Her mother is concerned, due to Giselle’s weak heart.

She is concerned that Giselle would suffer harm as a result of all of her dancing. People think ghosts live in the forest: the wilis. These ghosts are unmarried women who seduce men to come to the forest at night. The men have to dance all night until it becomes day. If they fail to do so, they die.

Count Albrecht is obligated to marry Bathilde, although he does not want to. So he goes to the village to distract himself. He notices Giselle. He wishes to entice her and dance with her.

On Giselle’s cottage, he hangs his hunting horn with the family crest.

He disguises himself as a peasant and conceals his fine clothes in the barn.

Giselle sees Albrecht and falls in love with him.

Hilarion, a forest warden, is madly in love with Giselle. He is envious of Albrecht’s dancing with Giselle. Hilarion discovers the hunting horn and Albrecht’s sword in the barn. Hilarion recognises that Albrecht is not a peasant in the least – Albrecht is a count.

Beaujean says this production of “Giselle” stars Olga Smirnova and Jacopo Tissi, both former stars of the Bolshoi Ballet who fled Russia in protest at the start of the war with Ukraine.

Beaujean says filming the production had its challenges.

“For the stage, you have just one picture,” she says. “For the film, we made sure to capture the emotion of the ballet. You want to show the second act, where this love is transcendent.”

Beaujean has been with Dutch National Opera & Ballet for decades.

Seh began working with the company in 1977. Following her training at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, she joined the company as a dancer.

In 1981, she was promoted to soloist.

Twenty years as a dancer, she said farewell to the stage in a performance of Hans van Manen’s “Sarcasmen.” She was then appointed ballet mistress with Dutch National Ballet.

In 2003, Beaujean became head of the artistic staff, and has been associate artistic director of the company since 2017.

“There was pressure to get this right,” she says. “We rarely do films on our ballets. We’re offering this to the world to showcase what we do at the company. This is an opportunity to see world-class performers bringing an engaging story to life.”