Among many of the most celebrated romantic ballets is “Giselle,” a haunting story of love, betrayal, and loss by French composer Adolphe Adam. The over-180-year-old ballet tells the tale of a beautiful young peasant, Giselle, who falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman in the disguise of a peasant. Later, she discovers Albrecht’s true identity, which eventually leads to her madness and death. She is then summoned into the sisterhood of the Wilis, the ghosts of unmarried women who were betrayed by their lovers, hell-bent on taking revenge by sentencing men to death by having them dance until they die.

Bringing this classic tale once again to the Philippine shores is Ballet Manila, with its upcoming restaging of “Giselle” at the Aliw Theater. The production, which is the company’s third offering in its 26th season, will be helmed by the ballet company’s artistic director and prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and will feature husband-and-wife combo Renata Shakirova and Aleksei Timofeyev of the acclaimed Russian ballet company, Mariinsky Ballet.

Prior to the show, Macuja-Elizalde, Shakirova, and Timofeyev sat down with the media to talk about things to look forward to from “Giselle,” how the couple is preparing for their roles at Giselle and Albrecht, among many others.

During the press conference, Macuja-Elizalde unveiled that Ballet Manila’s “Giselle” is a must-watch as it will be held at the newly revamped Aliw Theater and staged with innovative LED projections and upgraded stage effects. She also shared that the show would feature a new combination of dancers representing Ballet Manila.

Speaking about their preparations for their roles, Shakirova mentions that the hardest part for “Giselle” is not only the technical aspect but also the emotional part related to her performing with her husband.

“Dancing with somebody that you know, and love is very special, but also quite difficult because there is nervousness and anticipation for the both of us, together, as a family,” Shakirova told The Beat Manila.

Meanwhile, Timofeyev talked about the technical challenges of the role of Albrecht, with his scenes carrying most of the play’s Act II.

“The part of Albrecht in ‘Giselle’ is one of the most difficult [roles] for male dancers. Everything is in Act II, from beginning to end. This is why I need to prepare myself technically. Stamina-wise, I have to build [my] strength to be able to finish Act II.”

Amid the demands of the role of Albrecht, Timofeyev shares that he is thrilled about dancing with his wife for "Giselle."

“We live and we die on stage because it is such a demanding role, physically and emotionally. But I think dancing with my wife, Renata, is going to be a great experience because we will be holding each other up and supporting each other on this stage,” he added.

On what makes this restaging of “Giselle” special, Shakirova said, “It’s not just our performance, but the performance of the entire company, because all of us are telling the story, all of us are telling our part of this history. And I think what makes everything very special is that synergy, especially the synergy that we get from the audience and the performers on stage. This is what makes ‘Giselle’ very unique and special.”

Witness Ballet Manila’s “Giselle,” gracing the Aliw Theater stage on Aug. 31 at 8 PM and Sept. 1 at 5 PM. There will also be a matinee performance on Aug. 31 at 1 PM, where Ballet Manila’s principal dancers, Abigail Oliveiro and Mark Sumaylo, will be taking on the lead roles.

Tickets are now available via Ticketworld, priced at P1,030 (side) and P2,060 (center). For more details, follow Ballet Manila on Instagram or Facebook.