Giselle - about love and other difficulties

Ballet by Amanda Miller, Music: Adolphe Adam

A milestone in the history of ballet premiered in 1841 at the Opéra in Paris.
'Giselle' narrates the story of the unrequited love of Giselle, a vineyard peasant-girl, for a prince. She has fallen for him but he is engaged to marry another. When Giselle learns of that she loses her mind and dies of a broken heart. She is transformed into a ghost, an undead, a Wili, that is a spirit who stalks men at night so as to take revenge for their male perfidiousness. But Giselle does not take exact retribution on her prince. Her love is strong and so she manages to save his life.

"She has undertaken a challenge never before attempted: using contemporary methods and resource she manages to illuminate and assess a ballet classic yet without deconstructing it analytically in the process. Her 'Giselle' is a work about the spell exuded by romantic ballet arenas that are peopled by spirits, elfs, gamekeepers and princesses and the revival of such arenas." (FAZ, Wiebke Hüster)

"And here one finds that 'Giselle' told as the narrative of a pure and timeless love - which one can certainly examine and challenge. But here one also sees a completely different love story: the relationship of a female choreographer to dance and its tradition." (Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger)