For this years Halloween Workshop, we brought back the famous Dance of The Willis from the Corps De Ballet of Giselle Act II.
Our co-founder Alison Carroll led the BalletBody ladies through a 4-week workshop where they mastered the art of learning choreography and dancing in unison as a group (not as easy as it looks!) The workshop culminated with a beautiful in-studio performance for friends and family, who watched in complete awe and admiration while they danced as one.
Giselle premiered in France in 1841 and was originally choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrotwith to music by Adolphe Adam. This Romantic Ballet tells the story of a fragile girl who dies of a broken heart but finds the strength and love to forgive the man who broke it. It’s a timeless tale that has moved audiences for more than a century.
Act I unfolds the innocent love and betrayal between philandering Count Albrecht and a trusting peasant maid, Giselle. Although she has a weak heart, Giselle loves to dance and eventually dances to her death in the famous ‘Mad Scene’ when she discovers Albrecht’s betrayal.
In Act II, Giselle has been buried deep in the forest and has now become a ‘Willi’. The Willis are ghostly apparitions of folklore, brides who have died jilted at the alter by their faithless lovers. They dance with sorrow, heartbreak and revenge, and appear nightly to prey on any man unlucky enough to cross their path.
Dressed in ghostly attire, veils and romantic tutus, the BalletBody Willis performed with confidence and grace to portray this spooky and heartbreaking story.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Let’s give a big round of applause to our BalletBody Community for nailing their first ever group performance — Giselle: Dance Of The Willis Workshop.
Previous