04 February 2019
Newsdesk
Hailed as ‘a masterpiece of 21st century dance' [The Mail on Sunday] Akram Khan’s Giselle is released for sale on DVD for the first time from 1 March 2019, giving ballet fans worldwide the opportunity to enjoy this award-winning production.
Recognised as one of the greatest romantic ballets, Giselle has been re-imagined by celebrated choreographer Akram Khan. His first full length ballet, Khan’s Giselle features set and costume designs from Academy Award-winning designer Tim Yip, known for his work on the hit film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and an adaptation of the original Adolphe Adam score by composer Vincenzo Lamagna, orchestrated by Music Director, Gavin Sutherland and performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic. Giselle also features dramaturgy from Ruth Little and lighting design from Mark Henderson.
Directed for the screen by Ross MacGibbon. the film was commissioned by The Space and recorded live at the Liverpool Empire in October 2017.
English National Ballet Artistic Director and Lead Principal Tamara Rojo dances the role of Giselle, one of a community of migrant workers cast out of their jobs in a condemned garment factory. First Soloist James Streeter performs in the role of Albrecht, Lead Principal Jeffrey Cirio performs as Hilarion, and First Artist of the Company, Stina Quagebeur performs in the role of Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis.
The critically acclaimed production has toured to eight cities in the UK and internationally, and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance, Tanz Magazine Award for Production of the Year, Manchester Theatre Award for Dance, Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography for Akram Khan. The ballet also helped English National Ballet earn an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance.
Akram Khan’s Giselle was co-produced by Manchester International Festival and Sadler’s Wells, London, and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. The film was commissioned by The Space, the digital agency which supports UK arts organisations to grow their audiences across digital, cinema and broadcast platforms.
The DVD is distributed by Opus Arte and will be available internationally on Amazon, and is available for pre-order in the UK now. Release dates and stockists for the DVD in the UK, US and Germany are listed below, and further release dates (including for France and Japan) will be added.
