Now, for the first time on DVD,
The Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) is presented in
Creole Giselle, it's their acclaimed interpretation of the ballet classic. Making only minor changes in the story, music and traditional choreography of the repertory staple, DTH founder
Arthur Mitchell has set the ballet in 1841 Louisiana.
It was a time when social status among freed blacks was measured by how far removed one's family was from slavery: the community's "aristocrats" looked down on those whose immediate family had been enslaved. Thus, in the DTH version, Giselle faces the same social obstacles and heartbreaking rejection by Albert and his family as their classical counterparts.
Creole Giselle Video Rating Guide for Libraries - Laura S. Wilson
“Director Thomas Grimm is to be commended for his cleaver adaptation of this grand ballet…
Anyone watching ballet for the first time will surely find the video Fascinating."
Rated four stars by “Video Rating Guide for Libraries”
