Giselle

Giselle is, quite simply, a stunner – the classic classical ballet! A mythical
tale of eternal love, remorse and redemption, Giselle has spectacular
choreography by Marius Petipa, lush sets and costumes, and an achingly
beautiful traditional score by Adolphe Adam. American Ballet Theater's
unrivalled roster of international stars – and 85+ member company -- brings
Giselle's mystery and ethereal beauty vividly to life in an opulent production
acclaimed by critics and audiences worldwide.

Act I: A young peasant girl, Giselle, is in love with Loys, a villager who lives in the cottage opposite hers. Unbeknownst to Giselle, Loys is
really a nobleman -- Count Albrecht. Hilarion, the gamekeeper, is in love with Giselle, and during a meeting between Loys and Giselle,
Hilarion jealously declares his love for her. Giselle rebuffs him. Hilarion is insistent, but the angered Loys orders him to leave. Villagers
return from the grape harvest and Giselle and Loys join them in dancing, of which Giselle is inordinately fond. Berthe, Giselle’s mother,
comes upon the scene and scolds her daughter, for Giselle is not strong, and Berthe warns her that, if she dies before she is married, she
will become a wili (a restless spirit of a girl whose love was unrequited). The hunting party of the Duke of Courland and his daughter
Bathilde arrives seeking rest and refreshment. Giselle is overcome at the sight of Bathilde and her lovely clothes and explains that she
sews but that she loves to dance -- and she proceeds to dance a few steps for Bathilde. The two exchange confidences and both learn that
they are engaged. The gentle, kind-hearted Bathilde gives Giselle a gold necklace as a gift. The hunting party then leaves. During a
moment when no one is around, the jealous Hilarion breaks into Loys’ cottage and finds his sword, proof of his suspicions that Loys is
really a nobleman. The villagers return and proclaim Giselle the Queen of the Wine Festival, and all dance. Hilarion bursts upon the
scene holding Albrecht’s sword, and insists that Loys is a nobleman in disguise who is not truly in love with Giselle. He blows a hunting
horn, summoning the Duke of Courland and Bathilde. They recognize Albrecht, asking why he is dressed as a peasant. Albrecht brushes
off their questions, saying that the disguise was just a lark. The shock of Albrecht’s duplicity and his engagement to Bathilde is too much
for Giselle and she goes mad and dies.

Act II: Hilarion is making a cross for Giselle's grave; sensing the imminent arrival of the wilis he flees. The Queen of the Wilis, Myrta,
summons her followers for the ceremony which will initiate Giselle into their company. They disappear at the approach of Albrecht,
who arrives to place lilies on Giselle’s grave. Giselle appears to him and they dance together. The wilis return, having caught Hilarion,
and they command him to dance himself to death, a fate for all unwary men caught by the wilis. Albrecht returns looking for Giselle,
and he is also trapped by the wilis and commanded to dance. Giselle arrives to protect Albrecht and they stand by the cross over her
grave. She is then commanded to dance by Myrta, and Albrecht is drawn from the cross’ protection to dance with her. Just as Albrecht
is ready to drop from exhaustion and die, five o’clock strikes, and, with the arrival of dawn, the power of the wilis is broken. Giselle
bids farewell to Albrecht and returns to her grave.

From the Ottawa Citizen, March 1, 2009

Day 3 at the ballet: Pop goes the Boar!

By Peter Simpson 02-28-2009 COMMENTS(0) The Big Beat

... Not all the animals are stuffed. There are two Russian wolfhounds – big, beautiful, placid beasts – that
are led in backstage to stand among the bustling crowd of strangers, and they behave like old pros. The
company hires two dogs everywhere it goes when performing Giselle, so these dogs have no ballet
experience. Nonetheless, they never miss a cue or take the wrong exit offstage. In other words, the dogs
are doing better than the boar men, and they weren’t even at the rehearsals.