By Mary De LucaUpdated
On udansa, you will find like-minded people who share your passion for the classical repertoire, as well as the right ballet studios for your training. Make connections and experience the world of dance together with others.
The premiere of Giselle on June 28, 1841, in Paris marks the absolute peak of romantic ballet. In an era when art turned away from the strict reason of the Enlightenment and toward the world of emotions, the mystical, and the uncanny, this work hit the exact nerve of the time. Poets Théophile Gautier and Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges created the libretto based on Heinrich Heine's notes on the Slavic legend of the Wilis. The music by Adolphe Adam set new standards: for the first time, leitmotifs were consistently used to give characters like the innocent Giselle or the treacherous Albrecht a fixed musical identity. Anyone who wants to understand the power of sound in ballet today will find the perfect historical foundation in Adam's score.
The cultural significance of the piece lies in its two-part structure, which reflects the deep dichotomy of Romanticism. The first act shows an idyllic, albeit deceptive, image of rural life that culminates in Giselle's tragic death from madness. The second act transports the audience into the nocturnal forest, the realm of the Wilis. These spirits of young brides who died before their wedding embody the untamable, destructive power of disappointed love. Through the introduction of pointe work, which makes the Wilis appear to float weightlessly above the ground, Giselle permanently changed the aesthetics of dance. Ballet evolved from mere entertainment into a profound reflection on guilt, redemption, and the transience of life.
Discover the fascination of classical dance and find the perfect start.
No courses for this dance style here yet
festivalOnly 5 spots leftModern DanceIn the first act, you get to know the carefree peasant girl Giselle, who falls in love with the disguised Duke Albrecht without knowing about his noble origin and engagement.
When the betrayal by the jealous gamekeeper Hilarion is revealed, Giselle loses her mind and dies of grief from a broken heart.
In the second act, you enter the nocturnal forest where the Wilis, under the leadership of their queen Myrtha, discover Hilarion and dance him to death without mercy.
As Albrecht mourns at Giselle's grave, her spirit appears. Through her unconditional love, she protects him from the Wilis' deadly compulsion to dance until dawn breaks.
Giselle is a romantic ballet in two acts from 1841. It tells the tragic story of a peasant girl who dies of a broken heart and is accepted into the community of the Wilis as a spirit.
In Slavic mythology, the Wilis are the spirits of young women who died of a broken heart before their wedding day. They dance in the forest at night and force every man who crosses their path to dance until he collapses from exhaustion.
Giselle is of outstanding importance because it established pointe work as a means of artistic expression and linked the music closely to the dramatic plot through leitmotifs. It defines the aesthetics of Romanticism to this day.
Ballet history, repertoire and realistic goals
Vaganova vs. Balanchine: Comparing Ballet Schools
Patience in Ballet: Staying Mentally Strong at the Barre
Ballet Legends & Stories: Myths of the Great Stages
From King to Danseur Noble: Men in Ballet History
The history of pointe work: How ballet learned to fly
The History of Ballet: From Court to Stage
