@giselle Screening at Lincoln Center

Jan 20

Jan 20 @giselle Screening at Lincoln Center

On January 14, 2020 a screening of @giselle by Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY was hosted at The Bruno Walter Auditorium in New York City’s Lincoln Center.

Beamish created a new take on the beloved classic ballet Giselle, where dating apps and social media platforms reinterpret love, sex and relationships.

Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY premiered @giselle at the Vancouver Playhouse in September 2019, commissioned by TO Live.

@giselle stars American Ballet Theater’s Catherine Hurlin in the title role of Giselle and Betsy McBride as Bathilde, Pennsylvania Ballet’s Sterling Baca as Hilarion as well as National Ballet of Canada’s Harrison James as Albrecht.

What makes Beamish’s production so unique is the use of motion-captured digital projections and visual effects, that the director applied to reflect the digital world we live in.

"The ballet Giselle is one of the most profound constructions of the classical canon.” said Joshua Beamish, when introducing his show.

He added: “I want the original work to exist within our production as its own ghost - a ghost from another time. Traditional romance is evaporating. The internet is threatening our ability to value individuals. @giselle shows the evolved hysteria born from unanswered texts, likes, and story views. In today's media saturated environment, is Giselle's descent into "madness" really so shocking? I hope audiences will relate to Giselle's journey and see themselves in the plights, struggles, and joys of the varying characters and their social interactions."

After the screening of @giselle, the performing artists Hurlin, McBride and Baca joined Joshua Beamish on the stage to discuss and share the creative process of @giselle.

Baca emphasized Beamish’s ability to bring the old classic into the present time, by creating a version of Giselle we all know, yet never seen before.

Hurlin, McBride and Baca all agreed on the director’s distinctive characteristic of describing the detailed choreography with his broad vocabulary.

Joshua Beamish, Catherine Hurlin, Betsy McBride and Sterling Baca

The screening of the new interpretation of the ballet classic Giselle wasn’t only a unique chance to get a glimpse of the stunning production, but also to get an insight of the artistic process involved in the new must-see ballet and therefore made a special night for all guests.

Joanna and Brian Fisher underwrote the screening and served as hosts with Ben Rodriguez-Cubenas, Roger Kluge and Denise Roberts Hurlin.

Photos of the evening were taken by Sean Zanni PMC.

Bebe Neuwirth and Chris Calkins, Hank and Gerry Alpert and Jonah Boaker were some of the numerous guests that enjoyed the evening at the Lincoln Center.

@giselle honours the memory of every young life lost to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) complications.