Telling the Story of the Ballet Giselle

Giselle

When most think of going to a ballet, they picture in their minds the ballets such as Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and of course, Giselle.

Giselle is a Romantic Ballet but the reason these ballets were so powerful and have stood the test of time, was that they are true reflections of love and the eternal longings each of us experience, as we move through this life.
These ballets reflect the very real and personal challenges that all of us have to go through and they show us the power of forgiveness, the power of true love, and the tragic beauty of our failures.
As we watch these ballets unfold, we feel the honesty and real expressions of what seems to touch each of us personally and how life can be unfair but that love is an unbreakable thread in the tapestry of life.
Giselle is a story that is ancient and older than time. It touches our body, mind, emotions, and spirit because it is so very … human. It shows the terrible consequences that our reactive emotions cause and how we are constantly bombarded with situations that can break our heart.
Giselle is the story of how through love we can be broken but that the love that breaks us … can also save us.
It shows that what and who we love gives us the courage to confront and overcome even death.

The Romantic Period of Ballet is considered to be from 1830-1845 and continues to fascinate the hearts of artists and audiences to this day.
That is because it completely captures the diverse facets in this human gem we call, love.
Giselle is a story that shows the beauty, fragility, power, passion, and the incredible capacity for redemption humanity has when we can learn to forgive. This story captivates us because we can relate and understand the powerful forces that course through our human condition and that cause us to act and react in ways that can be foolish and fateful.
Everyone can relate to this story of the sweetness and playful innocence of young love. But this story is also about the betrayal of that love.
In Act I of Giselle, you see Giselle is a young peasant girl who has a weak heart and whose mother is a bit overprotective of her because of her fear of Giselle dying.
But Giselle is a young girl full of life and exuberance, and she loves to dance. She cannot help but dance with all her heart and soul.
Hilarion is a young man from the village and is a gamekeeper. He is deeply in love with Giselle. But while Giselle cares for him, she is not in love with him.
One day, the Royal Court is out hunting on the land and the local prince, Albrecht, decides to pretend to be from another village and just passing through. His servant thinks this is a bad idea, but Albrecht is determined to play the peasant for the day and have some fun. The servant hides Albrecht’s sword and cape behind a house and the prince decides to begin his charade.
But Hilarion sees the exchange and where the royal cape and sword are hidden before he slips back into the forest, unseen.
Albrecht decides to knock on the doors to the village houses and to his surprise … out comes the lovely Giselle.
Thrilled to be free of her mother’s concern and sharp eyes, she comes outside looking for who was knocking on the door. She begins dancing and Albrecht is enchanted by her beauty and sweetness. Then Giselle bumps into Albrecht.
Albrecht is truly captured with the sweet free spirit of Giselle and become infatuated with her.
But Hilarion sees what is happening and become enraged fearful that he will lose his love to this prince who does not truly love Giselle.
Giselle asks Albrecht to pledge his love, which he does, and all seems wonderful and perfect until Hilarion exposes the sword and the cape.
He tries to prove that Albrecht has been lying and playing a game at the expense of the innocent Giselle. Hilarion tries to express that he is the one that truly loves her, not Albrecht. But Giselle is blinded by her love for Albrecht and Hilarion is left enraged and ostracized.
Suddenly, the Royal hunting party arrives in the village.
In this party is Albrecht’s betrothed, Bathilde. At first Giselle does not realize that they are in love with the same person, Albrecht.
Giselle is asked to dance for the Royal Court and everyone in the village finally convinces the mother to let her dance for them. Bathilde is so enchanted by Giselle that she gives her a necklace in appreciation. They share that both of them are in love, and that they clearly are betrothed.
Albrecht arrives and suddenly is introduced to the village as the prince. He is greeted by the Royal Court, and the others in the hunting party ask Albrecht why he is dressed as a peasant. He explains that he was just playing a game.
Then he kisses the hand of Bathilde, and Giselle leaps in between them explaining to Bathilde, that she cannot be in love with Albrecht because he has pledged his love to her.
Bathilde shows Giselle that she has an engagement ring on and that she is to marry Albrecht.

Heartbroken, confused, and in dismay, Giselle loses her grip on reality and begins to go mad.
Hilarion confronts Albrecht again, and in a moment of anger Albrecht almost cuts down Hilarion with his own sword.
That is the moment that Giselle heart is so broken that she begins to go completely insane.
She becomes lost and confused, she is remembering the vow of true love that is now lost. She tries to take the sword and kill herself but Hilarion realizing what he has done, takes the sword out of her hands at the last moment. In a mad fit of laughter, she turns to see Albrecht, runs to him, he holds her in his arms, and she collapses dead.

In Act II of Giselle, the curtain opens to a misty forest scene with the newly dug grave of Giselle in the back corner.
Hilarion comes with wildflowers in his hands, and he is searching for Giselle’s grave. He is lost and feeling guilty for his jealousy that contributed to Giselle’s death.
Suddenly he feels that there is something very spooky about this forest and becomes frightened by the sights and sounds. Then he runs off into the darkness.
Myrtha, rises out of the mist and moves like a ghostly apparition across the stage. Using flowers left on the graves, she consecrates a space for the dead women to arise and begin their terrible quest.
Myrtha, the Queen of the Willis, begins her dance to summon the other maiden whose hearts were betrayed by the callousness deception of young men. These young women also, died because of the fickle fates of lost love.
Under the control of Myrtha, they have become a ghostly army that seek out men, ensnare them, and force them to dance to their deaths.
The Willis rise up at Myrtha’s bidding and she commands them to dance.
The dance of Myrtha is one of powerful presence, with terrible rage directed at men. She is consumed by revenge and her anger is a powerful magic that controls the other dead women.
She calls to Giselle to rise up from her grave and to become one of the Willis. Giselle does as she is bidden by the Queen and becomes one of the haunted dead women of the forest.
Albrecht enters wrapped in his cape carrying lilies. These flowers represent, purity, innocence, and rebirth. As he moves into the darkened woods, he is deeply remorseful, only now realizing the terrible cost that his game of playing a peasant and capturing the love of Giselle.
Giselle feels his love and rises up out of the grave and lets him know that she still loves him.
Meanwhile, Myrtha has sensed someone in the forest and has sent the Willis out to find and capture Hilarion.
The Willis find Hilarion and tormented by these apparitions he drowns in the lake.
The Willis find Albrecht and intend the same gruesome ending, but Giselle pleads for the life of Albrecht and instead he is required by Myrtha, to dance until his death.
Because Giselle loves him, she dances with him to give him strength and incentive with the power of her love.
With her help, Albrecht is able to survive until dawn.
That is when the power and spell of Myrtha is finally broken, and all the Willis are forced by the power of the light to go back into their graves.
Then Giselle and Albrecht say goodbye, realizing that what they had was true love. That finally frees Giselle from being a Willis and moves her soul into the light.
Albrecht realizing what he has lost, picks up the flowers she has given him at the end and collapses finally understanding that true love is forgiveness, and that true love conquers all.
~Story told by Suzanne from her experiences during her Ballet years~