Giselle Ballet: A Romantic Art

First envisioned in 1841, Giselle ballet has become the byword of the 1841 romantic style. It is particularly identified by its unique human themes that depict a concrete picture of spirituality, hope, love and loss. And, recognizing how it would create a great impact to the audience, the Giselle ballet was staged in 1980 at Rome, under the choreography of M.L. Lavrosvskij to the music of Adolphe Charles Adam. It was through that production that the Giselle ballet first obtained a great reputation in the ballet world.

The Origin of Giselle

Giselle ballet was actually first conceived by a French poet, author and critic, Theophile Gautier. This man was also considered by that time as one of the greatest champions of the Romantic ballet. According to some stories, the Giselle ballet was developed for one particular purpose – to honor the ballerina Carlotta Grisi. This woman was whom the poet Gautier not only admired for her wonderful dancing, but also with whom he was in love. With that inspiration, he wrote the story of Giselle ballet.

Giselle Ballet’s Story

Giselle ballet was written with two Acts. In Act I, the character Giselle was presented as a weak-hearted young girl who is highly adored by her native villagers. She lives with her watchful mother named Berthe. With Giselle’s innocence and frail beauty, Prince Albrecht, a nobleman who is already to a noblewoman, fell in love with Giselle. The prince then disguises himself as a peasant named Loys. He purchased the cottage adjacent to Giselle’s house, and started to shower Giselle with his love. Act I progresses showing Hilarion, the village gamekeeper who is also in love with Giselle, filled with suspicion and jealousy. He exposes Albrecht’s disguise and proclaims that he is already engaged to a noblewoman named Bathilde. Distraught by that fact, Giselle dies of a broken heart.

In the Act II of Giselle ballet, Hilarion is discovered keeping vigil by Giselle’s tomb. As night falls, the wilis, the jilted maidens who dies before their wedding night, make their appearance. Giselle is summoned from her grave, but hearing Albrecht approach, they vanish and Giselle appears to comfort Albrecht. Hilarion on the other hand was caught by the wilis and is condemned to dance till he dies. Albrecht faces a similar fate and it was after a final farewell that the lovers are parted for ever.

The Production of Giselle

Giselle, as mentioned earlier was first successfully staged in Rome in 1980. From that wonderful production, several subsequent production of the Giselle ballet emerged. The choreography of M.L. Lavrosvskij has been changed over the years and this perhaps due to the established oral tradition by which the choreography of the Giselle ballet passes on. It is interesting to know that at present, the Giselle ballet’s natural charm has been preserved mainly by the Russian artists, contrary to the belief that it was the French who do the preservation. The main support for this claim is perhaps the fact the most of the productions of Giselle ballet today generally depend on the revisions of the ballet made by Petipa. Petipa’s version of the ballet was actually considered as better documented than those that were produced by the French or than the Paris original. What is further worth noting is the fact that the Giselle ballet is continually produced in Russia.

The Giselle ballet does not only prosper in Russia, it has also gone international. It was staged in London in 1842 and in Milan in 1843, but it was seen again in Paris with the Ballet Russes. According to some reviews, one of the most interesting interpretations of Giselle ballet would be the one staged in 1984 at the Dance Theatre of Harlem production of “Creole Giselle”. This production was shown in the Bayou region of Louisiana.