Giselle
Giselle, originally titled Giselle, ou les Wilis, is a romantic ballet in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam.
🥀 The ghost-filled ballet tells the tragic, romantic story of a
beautiful young peasant girl who falls for the flirtations of the
deceitful and disguised nobleman Albrecht. When the ruse is revealed,
the fragile Giselle dies of heartbreak, and Albrecht must face the
otherworldly consequences of his careless seduction.
The second act is largely dominated by the Wilis, the spirits of maidens
who died after being betrayed by their lovers, and take revenge in the
night by dancing men to death by exhaustion (a popular theme in
Romantic-era ballets). Led by Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, they
summon Giselle from her grave and target her lover for her death, but
Giselle's great love frees him from their grasp. They gain their power
in numbers as they effortlessly move through dramatic patterns and
synchronized movements, and control the stage with their long tulle
dresses and stoic expressions, creating an ethereal atmosphere that
builds as they gradually close in on Albrecht. By saving Albrecht from
the Wilis, Giselle also saves herself from becoming one of them.
Coded by Liana G.