UNIVERSITY PARK — Shanghai Ballet, led by Artistic Director Xin Lili, returns to North America for the first time in more than five years with “Giselle” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Tickets are $60 for an adult, $14 for a University Park student, and $19 for a person 18 and younger. Tickets may be purchased online via the Arts Ticket Center. Avoid the $4 fee by purchasing by phone at 814-863-0255 or in person, weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Eisenhower Auditorium.
The Center for the Performing Arts and the Arts Ticket Center are parts of the Penn State College of Arts & Architecture.
Since its 1841 premiere, “Giselle” is revered as one of the most beloved story ballets in the classical canon with its haunting tale of love, betrayal and grief. Shanghai Ballet’s interpretation highlights the company’s hallmarks: pristine technique, unified ensemble work and emotionally vivid storytelling.
Founded in 1979, Shanghai Ballet, one of China’s leading ballet companies, is celebrated for its performances that blend classical ballet with distinctive Chinese artistry.
Under the artistic directorship of the former principal dancer, “the company has expanded its repertoire significantly to include most of the standard 19th-century European ballets, as well as new works inspired by China’s folklore and literature, with fewer political overtones,” wrote a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen. “When you think about it, so many Chinese tales involve lost loves and vengeful ghosts that Giselle is perfectly authentic.”
