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Home Famous Ballets

Giselle

Learn about the characters, plot, music, interesting facts, and upcoming performances of Giselle, one of the most famous classical ballets.

  • Who are the characters in Giselle?
  • What is the story of Giselle?
  • What is the music for Giselle?
  • Where is Giselle performed?
  • Related Stories
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  • Original Choreography: Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot
  • Musical Score: Adolphe Adam
  • Based on: Heinrich Heine's "De lÁllemagne" and Victor Hugo's "Les Orientales"

Giselle Plot & Roles

*Classical ballets have evolved over time, lending themselves to different interpretations as choreographers and directors create works that reflect their visions of the story. The following is intended to provide general information; for details on different versions, click on each of the Giselle performances below.

  • PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS IN GISELLE (in alphabetical order)

 
Albrecht: Count of Silesia, Betrothed to Bathilde, Love of Giselle


 
Bathilde: Betrothed to Albrecht


 
Berthe: Mother to Giselle


 
Giselle: A peasant girl, Love of Albrecht, Love of Hilarion


 
Hilarion: A gamekeeper


 
Myrtha: Queen of the Wilis


  • GISELLE SYNOPSIS
⊙ ACT I: A VILLAGE IN THE GERMAN RHINELAND

On an autumn day, a peasant girl named Giselle – who loves to dance but suffers from a weak heart condition – is pursued by Albrecht, the Count of Silesia; she is unaware of his noble status as he disguises himself as a peasant and thus sees no harm in their flirtation. She initially denies his advances but upon plucking the petals of a daisy, his love for her is confirmed. The gamekeeper Hilarion is suspicious of Albrecht and tries to warn Giselle, with whom he is also in love. She ignores his warnings while he continues to investigate.

The villagers are visited by the Duke of Courland and his daughter Bathilde who is betrothed to Albrecht. When it is realized that both young ladies are engaged to the same man and that indeed Albrecht is a nobleman, Giselle is heartbroken. She attempts to kill herself with Albrecht’s sword but upon failing, goes mad. This frenzy of despair is too much for the girl’s heart and she dies.

⊙ ACT II: THE FOREST

Between midnight and dawn, the Wilis of the forest – led by their Queen Myrtha – appear to avenge the grief they suffered while alive from the betrayal of men they had loved. They force any man who enters their territory to dance until their death. Hilarion comes to mourn Giselle and is victim to the Wilis’ malice.

When Albrecht enters the realm, Giselle pleads with Myrtha to forgive him. She denies the young girl’s request and orders her along with the other Wilis to dance with him until his death. Giselle manages to keep him alive until the light of dawn, thus sparing him the same fate as Hilarion.

★ INTERESTING FACT ★
Adolphe Adam, the composer of GISELLE’s score, is reported to have written the music in about two months! His use of leitmotifs for the principal characters as well as for the famous “he loves me, he loves me not” flower test that Giselle uses in Act I helps the audience recognize recurring themes. Representative of the relationship between Giselle and Albrecht, this letimotif is repeated throughout the ballet in different ways, helping to convey the characters’ emotions to the viewer.
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Giselle Music Playlist

Upcoming Giselle Performances

16 - 25 March
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Alberta Ballet Giselle

Alberta Ballet: Giselle

1415 14 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1M4, Canada

View Details
22 March
California Center for the Arts, Escondido
City Ballet of San Diego Inspiration in Motion

City Ballet of San Diego: Inspiration in Motion

340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido, CA 92025, United States

View Details
01 - 05 April
Moniuszko Auditorium
Polish National Ballet Giselle

Polish National Ballet: Giselle

plac Teatralny 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland

View Details
14 - 29 April
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Queensland Ballet Giselle

Queensland Ballet: Giselle

Cnr Grey and, Melbourne St, South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia

View Details
21 - 22 April
Charleston Gaillard Center
American Ballet Theatre Giselle Charleston

American Ballet Theatre: Giselle

95 Calhoun St, Charleston, SC 29401, United States

View Details
02 - 03 May
Lied Center for Performing Arts
American Ballet Theatre Giselle Lincoln

American Ballet Theatre: Giselle

301 N 12th St, Lincoln, NE 68508, United States

View Details
03 - 08 July
Metropolitan Opera House
American Ballet Theatre Giselle

American Ballet Theatre: Giselle

30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023, USA

View Details
12 October - 19 November
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Dutch National Ballet Giselle

Dutch National Ballet: Giselle

Amstel 3, 1011 PN Amsterdam, Netherlands

View Details
19 - 21 October
Palace Theatre Manchester
English National Ballet Giselle

English National Ballet: Giselle

97 Oxford St, Manchester M1 6FT, United Kingdom

View Details
26 - 28 October
Bristol Hippodrome
English National Ballet Giselle

English National Ballet: Giselle

St Augustine's Parade, Bristol BS1 4UZ, United Kingdom

View Details
11 - 21 January
London Coliseum
English National Ballet Giselle London

English National Ballet: Giselle

London Coliseum, St Martin's Ln, London WC2N 4ES, United Kingdom

View Details
09 - 11 February
Civic Center Music Hall
Oklahoma City Ballet Giselle

Oklahoma City Ballet: Giselle

201 N Walker Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, United States

View Details
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Famous Ballets
  • Cinderella
  • Coppélia
  • Don Quixote
  • Giselle
  • La Bayadère
  • La Sylphide
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Swan Lake
  • The Nutcracker
  • The Sleeping Beauty
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