Giselle Ballet Talk | The National Ballet of Canada

Giselle is the quintessential Romantic ballet with a haunting story of love, betrayal, madness and remorse that has captivated audiences since its Paris premiere in 1841. Nearly 180 years later, the title role is still among the greatest in the classical repertoire, demanding exquisite technique and emotional range in equal measure. The National Ballet of Canada performs the widely celebrated staging by Sir Peter Wright after Marius Petipa.
The Story:
Giselle is a young peasant girl courted by two suitors: Hilarion, a local man, and Albrecht, a nobleman disguised as a villager. Giselle falls in love with Albrecht, not knowing that he is betrothed to someone else. When Giselle learns of his deception, she kills herself in a fit of madness. In death she is summoned by the Wilis, the ghosts of jilted women who threaten to dance their lovers to death. But Giselle’s love is so pure that Albrecht is spared.

[@nationalballetcanada]

Let us know what you find most compelling about the story of Giselle.

[@AndrianaLea]

Sad and deeply moving

[@susanahlquist4321]

Lindsay's telling of the story is the best I have heard, and insightful to. Thank you

[@scruffycritter]

This is a wonderful overview of the ballet and I am grateful the National has provided it so I can share with my friends who are coming to see Giselle for the first time.

[@penlam]

Excellent talk! Thank you so much!

[@crystaliclake]

What did Hilarion do wrong?

[@stefannydvorak7919]

Nothing! He didn’t deserve to die...

[@iresha6813]

He did nothing wrong but I guess it was the his inner voice being sorry for not being able to save her. If he stopped her or something. It needs a psychological explain to know what it really is.

[@Unit68]

Giselle doesn't stab herself in most versions, she dies from heart failure brought on by shock. In her last moments alive she seeks one last embrace of her mother, then in her final moment reaches out to Albrecht.Her pure heart recognises at last that his love was true and their bond is eternal. Her last act saves immortal soul from being condemned to roam the earth in bitterness and hateful revenge as a Willi.Her last act on earth was forgiveness. Simplification of this part of the story is what makes productions of Giselle fail dramatically, in my opinion. And no dancer without a deep understanding of the role can possibly do more than dance prettily while portraying a shallow and overacted drama based on a simplistic narrative.

[@operaguy1]

Agree. Her illegitimate birth status and the fact she was having sex out of wedlock* is enough to make the Christians keep her out of hallowed ground. She might even have been pregnant at death.
*I consider act 1 to be a condensation of several weeks, and they were physical lovers. This fills the revelation of Bathilda with gravitas. Literally gravitas.