Principal Casting April 21, 2023
Christine Shevchenko
Calvin Royal III
Katherine Williams
Principal Casting April 22, 2023
Devon Teuscher
Aran Bell
Hee Seo
Christine Shevchenko, Principal Dancer
Christine Shevchenko was born in Odessa, Ukraine where she was chosen to train in rhythmic gymnastics and ballet at an Olympic School. At the age of eight, she moved to the United States and trained for nine years at Pennsylvania Ballet’s Rock School. In 2003, Shevchenko became the youngest recipient of the Princess Grace Award. Other awards include the Bronze Medal in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, 2005 Gold Medal and Title of Laureate at the Moscow International Ballet Competition, the George Zoritch of Ballet Russe Award for Talent Recognition, and the 2010 Margaret Moore Dance Award. S
Shevchenko joined American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in August 2006, joined the main Company as an apprentice in December 2007 and the corps de ballet in June 2008. She became a Soloist in 2014 and a Principal Dancer in September 2017.
Calvin Royal III, Principal Dancer
Calvin Royal III began his formal dance training under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff and Patricia L. Paige at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix Scholarship Competition in New York City in April 2006 and joined the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in September 2006.
Royal joined ABT II (now ABT Studio Company) in December 2007, became an apprentice with the main Company in October 2010, and joined the corps de ballet in April 2011. He was appointed a Soloist in September 2017 and a Principal Dancer in September 2020.
Royal was named a finalist at the 2013 Clive Barnes Awards and, in 2014, was awarded the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship to further his artistic development. He was named the 2020-2021 Artist-in-Residence for the Vail Dance Festival in Vail, Colorado.
Katherine Williams, Soloist
Katherine Williams was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and began her early training with the Hawaii State Ballet. After moving to Maryland with her family, she studied at the Ballet Royale Academy under the direction of Donna Pidel. She was awarded the Youth Grand Prix at the 2003 Finals of the Youth America Grand Prix in New York and was a Top 12 Finalist at the 2005 Finals. In 2003, she was awarded a full scholarship to the Boston Ballet Summer Dance program. From 2004 to 2006, she attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensives as a National Training Scholar and, in 2006, she attended the Stiefel and Stars Summer Program.
Williams joined the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in the Fall of 2005 and remained there until joining ABT Studio Company in January 2007. Williams became an apprentice with American Ballet Theatre in December 2007 and joined the corps de ballet in June 2008. She was promoted to Soloist in September 2018.
Devon Teuscher, Principal Dancer
Born in Pennsylvania, Devon Teuscher began her dance training at the age of nine under Deanna Doty at Champaign Urbana Ballet Academy in Champaign, Illinois, before studying at the Vermont Ballet Theatre School in Essex, Vermont under Alex and Kirsten Nagiba. Teuscher participated in summer intensives at The Kirov Ballet Academy and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, which she attended on full scholarship for two years. From 2002–2006, Teuscher attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive and was a National Training Scholar from 2003–2006. In January 2005, she began training at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on full scholarship.
After joining ABT Studio Company in 2006, Teuscher became an apprentice with the main Company in December 2007. She joined the corps de ballet in June 2008, became a Soloist in August 2014 and a Principal Dancer in September 2017.
Aran Bell, Principal Dancer
Born in Bethesda, Maryland, Aran Bell began studying ballet at age four, receiving the majority of his early training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and with Denys Ganio in Rome, Italy. He spent several summers at the Royal Ballet School in London and at American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive in New York City. Between the ages of 11 and 16, Bell received the Hope Award at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City, the Premio Positano, the Premio Amalfi Young Talent Award, a Gold Medal and Audience Choice Award at Rieti International Ballet Competition, and the Premio Capri Danza International Award, among other awards.
After joining ABT Studio Company in September 2014, Bell joined the main Company as an apprentice in May 2016 and became a member of the corps de ballet in March 2017. He was promoted to Soloist in September 2019 and appointed a Principal Dancer in September 2020.
Hee Seo, Principal Dancer
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Hee Seo began her ballet training in her hometown at the Sun-hwa Arts Middle School. She was awarded a three-year full scholarship to continue her training at the Universal Ballet Academy in Washington, D.C. In 2003, Seo won a scholarship to train at the John Cranko Ballet Academy in Stuttgart. She is the recipient of the 2003 Prix de Lausanne Award and the 2003 Grand Prix at the Youth American Grand Prix in New York.
Seo joined ABT Studio Company in 2004, became an apprentice with the main Company in May 2005, and joined the corps de ballet in March 2006. She was promoted to Soloist in August 2010 and to Principal Dancer in July 2012.
Seo has appeared as a guest artist with the Mariinsky Ballet dancing the title role in Giselle and Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.
Choreography after Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa
Staged by Kevin McKenzie
Libretto by Théophile Gautier, on a theme by Heinrich Heine
Music by Adolphe Adam
Orchestrated by John Lanchbery
Scenery by Gianni Quaranta
Costumes by Anna Anni
Lighting by Jennifer Tipton
World Premiere
(Original Production)
Ballet du Théâtre de l’Academie Royale de Musique
June 28, 1841
Théâtre de l’Academie Royale de Musique
Paris, France
Cast:
Carlotta Grisi (Giselle)
Lucien Petipa (Albrecht)
Adele Dumilatre (Myrtha)
Premiere
May 21, 1998
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, New York
Cast:
Amanda McKerrow (Giselle)
Vladimir Malakhov (Albrecht)
Irina Dvorovenko (Myrta)
ACT I: The ballet is set in the vineyard country bordering the Rhine. Hilarion, the village huntsman and a gamekeeper to the court, returns from his early morning chores and pauses before a neighboring cottage—the home of Giselle, with whom he is in love. Villagers pass by on their way to the vineyards, where they will harvest the last of the grapes before the Wine Festival.
Count Albrecht arrives with his squire and enters a cottage opposite Giselle’s. He emerges dressed as a peasant, submits his disguise to the squire’s inspection, and dismisses him. Hilarion has witnessed this exchange and is puzzled that the squire should show such deference to this youth, who is known to the villager as a fellow peasant named Loys. Loys excuses himself from joining the grape pickers so that he can be alone with Giselle. He swears eternal love, and she takes the traditional test with a daisy—“he loves me, he loves me not.” When it appears the answer will be “not,” she throws the flower away; Loys retrieves it and, by surreptitiously discarding a petal, comes up with the answer “he loves me.” Hilarion interrupts, protesting that he, and not Loys, truly loves Giselle. A quarrel ensues, and Hilarion’s suspicions deepen as Loys instinctively reaches for the sword that, as a nobleman, he is accustomed to wearing.
The villagers return, and Giselle invites them to join in a dance to celebrate the harvest. Her mother, Berthe, interrupts and warns her that her life may be endangered if she overexerts herself by dancing. She is struck by a momentary hallucination of her daughter in death. She sees her as a wili, a restless spirit who has died with her love unrequited.
A horn sounds in the distance, and Loys recognizes it as coming from the hunting party of the prince of Courland. As Loys hastily departs, Hilarion breaks into Loys’ cottage. Refreshments are served to the hunters, and the prince’s daughter, Bathilde, gives Giselle a gold necklace when she learns they are both engaged to be married. After the royal party has returned to the hunt, Hilarion emerges from Loys’ cottage with a hunting horn and a sword, further evidence that the supposed peasant is, in fact, a nobleman.
The villagers return and proclaim Giselle the queen of the Wine Festival. Hilarion interrupts to denounce Loys as an impostor. When Loys denies the charges and threatens the gamekeeper with his sword, Hilarion blows the hunting horn, a signal for the prince to return. Loys is exposed as an impostor when Bathilde reveals that he is her fiancé, Count Albrecht. The shock of learning of Albrecht’s duplicity is too great for Giselle’s frail constitution. Her mind becomes unhinged, and she dies of a broken heart—her love unrequited.
ACT II: The scene is laid in a clearing in the forest near Giselle’s grave. The wilis are summoned by their queen, Myrta, to attend the ceremonies that will initiate Giselle into their sisterhood. Their love unrequited, they can find no rest. Their spirits are forever destined to roam the earth from midnight to dawn, vengefully trapping any male who enters their domain and forcing him to dance to his death. Hilarion, in search of Giselle, meets his death at their hands. Albrecht arrives to leave flowers on Giselle’s grave. He too is trapped and commanded to dance until death. Giselle resolves to protect him. She dances with him until the clock strikes four, at which hour the wilis lose their power. Albrecht is rescued from death.
Support for this program is made possible by generous donors who have committed time and resources to the Charleston Gaillard Center’s Dance Initiative.
Please note: Row DD will be the front row for this performance.
The Charleston Gaillard Center’s Education & Community Program is pleased to announce student tickets are available for this performance. Limited availability. Limited to two tickets per person with valid student/teacher ID.
Tickets available in advance: Tickets are $20 (plus applicable fees) for green seats on seatmap. Ticket purchasers must pick up their tickets at Will Call the night of the performance. NOTE: Please make sure to select Student/Teacher when purchasing tickets to receive your discount.
Day of Rush: Tickets are $25 (plus applicable fees). Available two hours prior to show time, best available.
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Join American Ballet Theatre, a leading performing arts institution dedicated to the legacy of classical dancing, onstage in the Martha & John M. Rivers Performance Hall. Register your interest in auditioning in April!
Supernumerary Requirements
Dance experience is not required, but movement or acting training is helpful! Supers must be available for all rehearsals and performances. Those cast are considered volunteers. There is no compensation.
- Boys, Age 8 – 10; Height: 4’6” to 4’8”; Shoe Size US 5.5 and Smaller
- Females, Age 14 – Mature; Height: 5’5” – 5’10”; Body Type: Various
- Males, Age 14 – Mature; Height: Various; Body Type: Various
Audition Date:
April 19 | 5:00PM – 7:00PM
Rehearsals:
April 19 | 7:00PM – 9:00PM
April 20 | 5:30PM – 9:00PM
April 21 | 11:30AM – 3:15PM
Performances:
April 21 | 7:30PM
April 22 | 7:30PM
Learn more & register your interest.
