By Kathy Valin

In 1841 the Paris Opera Ballet premiered GISELLE by Jean Coralli and Jules Joseph Perrot. This weekend the Dance Ensemble of Cincinnati's SCHOOL FOR THE CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS takes on the challenge of presenting the same ballet. Seniors Jessica Chavez and Kendra Feay will portray the peasant girl who goes mad after noble suitor Albrecht abandons her. Legends like Carlotta Grisi, Alicia Alonso, Alicia Markova, Carla Fracci and Margot Fonteyn have each put their stamp on the role. "We started thinking about doing it last spring," says PATRICIA ROZOW, former principal with Cincinnati Ballet who now co-directs the ensemble with Daryl Bjoza. "We had two girls who could do the drama and the technique." She's staging the ballet after Frederic Franklin's version, and has dedicated it to him. "It's a coveted ballerina role," says Rozow "but Albrecht (danced alternatively by professional guests Michael Wardlaw and Andrey Kasatsky) also gets to dance a lot in the second act. They both have to be light, coquettish and flirty in Act 1, and then very dramatic in Act 2. After Giselle dies mad, the ghostly Willies try to make Albrecht dance himself to death. Giselle saves him from their wrath, but at dawn when the queen of the Willies has no power, Giselle returns to her tomb, leaving the bereft Albrecht alone." Oddly, Giselle was the first ballet a teen-age Rozow ever saw in New York -- with Margot Fonteyn as Giselle. About Franklin, she says "Do you know he danced at Music Hall the day World War II broke out? He still puts out energy!" Octogenarian Franklin is currently Artistic Director Emeritus with Cincinnati Ballet. For more on his continuing work with the company, go to cincinnatiballet.com. "Sometimes we get too focused on the present. Freddie would tell about Picasso -- how he painted directly on the unitards the dancers were wearing! I enjoy passing that back to the kids. And he'd say to us 'Just go out there and do it. Go, have a good time. You've got the steps down, just go out and do it!' "

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