The National Ballet of Canada Giselle and Sleeping Beauty
GISELLE - Canada's Beloved prima ballerina Karen Kain and premier danseur Frank Augustyn star in this timeless tale of doomed love and eternal longing. The romantic ballet tells the story of the peasant girl Giselle who goes mad with grief and dies upon learning that Albrecht, her peasant lover, has deceived her and is not really a nobleman. In the ballet's haunting second act, the Willis, maidens who have betrayed and died before their wedding day, attempt to dance Albrecht to his death. But the power of love prevails and Giselle, now a Willi herself, saves him. THE SLEEPING BEAUTY - This spectacular version of the ballet classic stars Rudolf Nureyev as Prince Florimund and Veronica Tennant as Princess Aurora. The lavish Emmy Award-winning production is a feast for the eyes and ears with its brilliant performances, choreography by Nureyev, visually resplendent sets and costuming, and sumptuous Tchaikovsky score. Nureyev, who speaks briefly about the ballet and gives an outline of the classic tale of jealousy and the power of love, introduces The Sleeping Beauty in an on-camera appearance.