Giselle is a French ballet hit, a dramatic tale of love that comes to life with musical motives of the classic Adolphe Adan. The world premiere took place in 1842 in Paris. Since then, this classical ballet has been an ornament in the repertoire of almost all the world’s major theaters. The performance was created based on the legend, which Heinrich Heine once conveyed.
Using Giselle as an example, the legend tells the story of the Wilis, the spirits of maidens who died after being betrayed by their lovers. Unable to withstand the betrayal, the girls died and turned into vengeful and cruel spirits – Wilis, who settled scores with young men at night.
Ekaterina Kukhar about the difficulties of the role: “In the first act of the performance, you need to convey all the experiences of Giselle: her joy, desires, love, and at the end of the same act, when Giselle realizes that Albert has betrayed her, it is necessary to show the viewer all the pain of loss and betrayal, from which Giselle goes crazy. The scene of madness must be played in such a way that the viewer has a lump in his throat. And in the second act, on the contrary, – turn off all feelings and play invisible in the afterlife. Returning from there to normal life is absolutely not easy.”
Music by: Adolf Adan
Choreography: Marius Petipa, Jules Perrot, Jean Coralli
Libretto: Théophile Gautier, Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, Jean Coralli, based on the legend of Heinrich Heine