Giselle with choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot premiered at the Paris Opera on June 28, 1841. Adolphe Adam composed the original score, which became one of the most celebrated in ballet history. The ballet’s creation was inspired by a poem by Heinrich Heine about the Wilis, ghostly spirits of young women who die of broken hearts and seek vengeance on their betrayers. Gautier, enchanted by the poem, collaborated with Saint-Georges to craft the story of Giselle, drawing on Romantic ideals of supernatural phenomena, love, and betrayal.
The Plot of Giselle
As one of the most cherished and performed ballets worldwide, Giselle tells the haunting and tragic story of a young peasant girl who falls in love with a man of noble birth, only to be betrayed. Heartbroken and driven to madness, she dies and transforms into a Wili—a spirit of a jilted woman who seeks revenge on unfaithful men.
The ballet unfolds in two contrasting acts: the first set in a lively village, and the second in an eerie, moonlit forest, where Giselle’s ghost, filled with forgiveness and love, protects her remorseful lover from the vengeance of the vengeful Wilis.