LOVE, BETRAYAL, AND
GHOSTS IN A LUSH GISELLE

Los Angeles Ballet delivers a visually rich and
emotionally satisfying take on the Romantic classic.

Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) closes its 20th Anniversary Season with a milestone: its first appearance at the Ahmanson Theatre, presenting the ghostly Romantic classic Giselle. Founded in 2006 with the goal of establishing a major ballet presence in Southern California, the company arrives at The Music Center with one of the most beloved works in the repertory—an ambitious choice for a long-awaited debut. With staging and additional choreography by LAB’s artistic director Melissa Barak with original choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa, the company delivers a visually lush, emotionally satisfying production anchored by strong lead performances.

First performed in Paris in 1841 with music by Adolphe Adam, Giselle tells the tragic story of a young peasant girl whose love endures beyond death, blending pastoral innocence, betrayal, and supernatural redemption. On May 1 (the show runs through Sunday), that story was brought to life by Sarah-Ashley Chicola, whose Giselle is both lovely and seemingly weightless, and Evan Gorbell, a handsome and extraordinary leaper as Albrecht, each making a memorable impression in their first season with LAB (casts vary).

Set in a sunlit Rhineland village during harvest season, Giselle is introduced as a gentle young woman with a fragile heart and an irrepressible love of dance. Chicola’s radiant presence captures both her innocence and her emotional vulnerability, her movement filled with buoyant joy that makes her later descent into madness all the more affecting. Gorbell’s Albrecht meets her with warmth and ardor, their romantic pas de deux showcasing their artistic connection and technical ease.

Suspicion enters through Nick Sedano’s tall, dark, and intense Hilarion, who is also in love with Giselle. Sedano’s grounded physicality contrasts sharply with Gorbell’s noble bearing. During the Harvest festivities, a group of well-dressed nobles on a hunting trip arrives (Lilly Olvera, Olivia Flanyak, Evan Swanson, Sherwood Sheen), including the elegant Bathilde (regal redhead Anna Jacobs). Turns out, Albrecht is actually a nobleman already promised to Bathilde. And when Giselle’s world collapses, Chicola delivers a heartbreaking unraveling, reliving moments of love in a stunning display of emotional and physical control before her fragile heart gives way. Guest artist and former Bolshoi dancer Matisse Love lends Giselle’s mother Berthe a dignified, protective presence that anchors the first act.

Act II moves into the misty, moonlit realm of the Wilis, where the production’s visual and choreographic strengths come fully into focus. Led by the regal and commanding Lilly Fife as Myrtha, the Wilis. the sorrow-filled spirits of more than 20 young women in flowing white who died before their wedding days, each betrayed by the men they loved. Led by their powerful queen, Myrtha (regal Lilly Fife) the corps creates a haunting, unified presence, their movements precise and ethereal. It is easy to imagine them as spirits lifted beyond the human realm, their ghostly symmetry both beautiful and chilling.

In this spectral world, Giselle’s compassion transforms the story. Though now one of the Wilis, her love for Albrecht remains stronger than vengeance, culminating in a final pas de deux that is overwhelmingly beautiful. Chicola and Gorbell’s lifts, phrasing, and delicate footwork convey both devotion and inevitability, capturing a love that endures even as it must be relinquished.

Visually, the production benefits from Peter Farmer’s scenic and costume design, which evokes both rustic warmth and supernatural moonlit elegance, while Sierra Walker’s lighting enhances the shift from sunlit celebration to moonlit mystery. The score rang through the house, but the use of a recorded orchestra slightly reduces the immediacy of Adam’s score.

For romantics of all ages, Giselle continues to enchant, and the audience response at the Ahmanson suggests its enduring appeal. As a showcase for Los Angeles Ballet’s long-awaited debut on this stage, the production highlights the company’s artistic ambitions.

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photos courtesy of LAB

Giselle
Los Angeles Ballet
Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N Grand Ave.
ends on May 3, 2026
for tickets ($38–$131), call 310.998.7782 or visit LAB

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