Oakley-based de la Dance Company, led by former Cincinnati Ballet and Joffrey Ballet Principal Dancer Meridith Benson and her husband Mario de la Nuez (formerly with CityBeat and former Artistic Director of Ballet Theater of Chicago), presents Giselle, a pristine example of the Romantic style of ballet, this weekend at the Aronoff’s cozy Jarson Kaplan Theater with a mix of professional and pre-professional dancers.
A beautiful dancer, Benson appears in the role of the young Rhineland peasant girl Giselle who dies of heartbreak after discovering her lover, Albrecht, has deceived her. Giselle becomes a vengeful, ghostly Wili, a jilted female spirit, yet forgives her faithless Albrecht. Ballet aficionados will also want to catch performances by young phenom Martin Rossaare as Albrecht and Amy Hazelwood, formerly of Ballet Ethnic in Atlantic, who shares the role of Giselle with Benson.
$20; $12 children/seniors/students. 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Get tickets, details and find nearby bars and restaurants here.
