Giselle is one of the ballet greats, so you always expect something at least good when watching it either live, on TV or on DVD. I'll start by saying that I have yet to see a bad production of Giselle, and this Giselle is a long way from bad at all. Like with the other productions, it is great. Some may prefer the spontaneity of a live performance, but that actually didn't bother me. My only complaint actually is some of the glides and lifts in Act 2 seemed a little too rushed through for my liking. However, I cannot complain about anything else. The costumes and sets are very detailed and beautiful looking, the village and forest scenes are very evocative while the costumes for the nobles, villagers and Willis are colourful and sumptuous.

The production values are complicated by the camera work, the production is one of the best shot Giselles and the unobtrusiveness and the attention to choreographic and dramatic detail really impresses here. The choreography is flexible and full of grace, technically this is difficult stuff. But the way it is danced is made so easy by the performers, who not only dance with elegant precision but also their acting is excellent too, no coldness in sight. Karen Kain is sublime as Giselle, technically and dramatically. In regard to the latter actually, while I loved all the Giselles for similar and different reasons I can only think of one Giselle slightly superior to Kain and that's Alina Cojocaru, who not only meets all the role's demands but also goes beyond them.

Frank Augustyn is an ideal partner for her, he is handsome and masculine with beautifully controlled legs and arms and excellent leaps and execution of lifts. He is a very good actor as well, and forms a more than convincing partnership with Kain. Nadia Potts is Kain's equal in the technical department and is both chilling and imperial as Myrta, Queen of the Willis. Overall, highly recommended and very impressive production in many ways. 9/10 Bethany Cox