Nearly every balletomane in the world would agree that Giselle is the gold standard of Romantic ballets. When it premiered at the Paris Opera in 1841 it was among the first to be danced en pointe, and the iconic work is still widely performed today. Orange County audiences will soon have the opportunity to experience Giselle, as American Ballet Theatre is set to bring the iconic work to Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts from July 24 to July 27.
“It’s one of my favorite ballets to perform,” gushed Christine Shevchenko, the Ukrainian-American principal dancer for ABT who will be one of five Giselle’s to don toe shoes for the production. “I think it’s because I am very similar to her. Especially in Act I, though not the ‘mad’ scene! I have the same kind of joy for life, I love to dance, and I believe in good. Giselle comes easier for me than to play other roles.”
The two-act ballet is a tale of unrequited love, devastating loss, and triumphant forgiveness. It features original choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa, and memorable music by Adolphe Adam. ABT’s iteration is staged by the organization’s former artistic director Kevin McKenzie, and Shevchenko said it is the “standard version of Giselle you will see in most places.”
“From the jumps and hops on pointe to the slow adagios, you name it, Giselle has everything,” Shevchenko said. “And there’s so much acting, especially in the mad scene, that on its own takes so long to really achieve the right tone so that people can understand what’s happening. In Act II, the etherealness of every step makes it look like you’re floating. At the end of the day, when you perform it, it truly is rewarding to be able to do all of that.”
In McKenzie’s staging, Shevchenko will be partnered by ABT principal Calvin Royal III, who dances Prince Albrecht. “We’ve danced together so much and know each other so well. Just by looking at Calvin’s reactions and seeing what he does I’m able to respond in different ways. Every show I will do something different based on how he reacts to me and vice versa,” Shevchenko said. “It’s a joy dancing with him. He’s a great partner and gets into character so well.”
Shevchenko trained as a gymnast in Ukraine before moving to Philadelphia with her family at age 7. At age 14, she became the youngest recipient of the Princess Grace Award. She then rose through the ranks at ABT and was appointed as a principal dancer in 2017.
“ABT was always my dream company to work at, mostly because of Misha [Mikhail] Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova. They were both there, and I wanted to dance in the same company they danced in. I also loved all the full-length classical ballets, and ABT has a vast repertory.”
Like her terpsichorean inspirations, Shevchenko has performed lead roles in a number of the classics including Swan Lake, Firebird, and Romeo and Juliet. She has also performed as a guest artist with the United Ukrainian Ballet, a company of 60 elite ballet dancers who fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion.
Shevchenko admitted she’s starting to think about retirement. “I’m doing Harvard online extension school. So far, I think I’m going the business route, [taking] finance and economics courses. Still, I could not tell you what I want to do, but these are all great things to know.”
For now, Shevchenko revels in being a ballerina at ABT, and shared that some of her happiest moments come after the show. “When I go to meet all the fans, the people backstage, they have tears in their eyes. They are just so moved by the performance, the acting, the dancing. It fills me with so much happiness that I was able to bring joy and emotion to these people. That’s the most rewarding part for me. When I come out to see everybody, I know they’re there to see me.”
