The stage is like a mirror
Ballet |
After a successful start to the season, the second series of Elena Tschernischova's timeless choreography of the romantic ballet Giselle to the music of Adolphe Adams, exquisitely rehearsed by ballet director Alessandra Ferri, her former dance partner Julio Bocca and the ballet masters of the Vienna State Ballet, begins in April. First solodancers Madison Young and Victor Caixeta make their debuts in the leading roles.
The role of the betrayed peasant girl Giselle, who loses her mind in dismay over her disappointed love and dies and reappears as the ghostly Wili, is one of the most sought-after in the classical repertoire, as it offers a rich spectrum of dramatic and stylistic development within the two acts. No less complex is the leading male role of Duke Albrecht, who plays a double game by confessing his love to Giselle - already engaged to the noblewoman Bathilde - but is exposed by his adversary, the gamekeeper Hilarion. He is unable to resist Giselle's dance until the very end. Madison Young and Victor Caixeta have both performed the main roles before - but this is the first time they have interpreted them with the Vienna State Ballet. Their approaches are quite similar, as they explained in conversation with Iris Frey.
"Our common goal is to really move the audience - not just to convince them technically, but with expression, style and artistic depth."
Madison, you already danced in Giselle during your first engagement with the Vienna company, back then as Moyna, a Wili. During your time at the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, you made your debut in the title role in the version by Peter Wright (based on Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa). What is your relationship with this ballet?
MY: Giselle has a very special place in my heart because it was my first major leading role in my first season in Munich - right after the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I wasn't at my best and only had two weeks to rehearse. That was extremely challenging - you normally rehearse for months for such a big role. I therefore discovered it in a very special way because I didn't have time to plan everything exactly and had to rely on my intuition. In retrospect, however, that was also a special freedom - my debut was very spontaneous and honest.
How are you preparing for your Vienna debut?
MY: I am delighted that I now have the opportunity to work on the role of Giselle again in peace and quiet, to explore her core, her soul - with the aim of finding a balance between intuition and conscious design. However, the role is not only individually demanding, it is also very much about partner work, for which we have enough time this time. I have the feeling that, under the right conditions, Giselle can now dance the way I always imagined her.
Victor, when did you dance the role of Duke Albrecht for the first time and what were your experiences with it?
VC: I interpreted this role for the first time in 2019 and most recently in 2022 during my engagement with Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam in Rachel Beaujean's version. I really like this role because it offers so many possible interpretations. It changes depending on the partner, coaching and your own mood. So I danced it completely differently the second time - more passionately and more actively. I am very emotional in my work and want to bring my heart to the stage. In general, I love ballets that leave room for interpretation, where I can tell a story and bring in my own color.
What does your partner work look like? You already danced together in the premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's Kallirhoe at the Vienna State Opera in October 2025. Did you already know each other before your engagement at this opera house?
MY: Yes, we had already worked together on individual projects before our time in Vienna. That helped us a lot because we already trusted each other and were able to get straight down to work. We have both danced Giselle before and don't have to worry about the lifts, for example, but can concentrate fully on the story and our joint interpretation of it. We are also both very passionate and fit well together in this respect.
VC: You share a lot of emotions in the rehearsal process, so chemistry with your partner is crucial, as is working honestly and always with full commitment.
MY: Everyone has their own life, their ups and downs. But the important thing is to support each other and always come together, and Victor and I always achieve that in the end.
You are now working on this ballet with ballet director Alessandra Ferri, whose showpiece role was Giselle. How does this coaching enrich you?
VC: Especially at this stage of our career, it is particularly valuable to work with someone like Alessandra Ferri and also Marcelo Gomes (note: leading ballet master), who have danced this piece so often and bring so much experience and a different perspective. For us now, it's less about learning or reproducing the steps and more about refining the ballet and developing artistically.