This story of unrequited love, betrayal, madness, revenge and forgiveness is the most famous, revered and enduring of all the Romantic ballets.

Background:
Since 1841, when Giselle first appeared on the stage of the Paris Opera, she has protected her faithless lover from certain death countless times in numberless theaters across the globe. One of the most popular ballets in the classical repertory, Giselle has attracted the best dancers in the world to fill its leading roles.

Giselle, a timeless tale of love stronger than death, takes place in a medieval village and a nearby wood with a lake. The local gamekeeper, Hilarion, is in love with Giselle, but she is not ready to wed. One day, Duke Albrecht, disguised as a peasant, goes hunting with some friends. He comes upon Giselle and determines to have her. Uncertain, Giselle plucks the petals from a daisy and gets a "he loves me not" answer, but Albrecht swears that he loves her. Giselle is beside herself with joy. When Hilarion comes a-courting, Albrecht chases him away.

The villagers arrive and there is music and dancing. As the celebration continues, a Prince and his daughter stop in the village. Giselle dances for the Princess and is rewarded with a necklace. Unbeknownst to Giselle, the Princess is already betrothed to Albrecht. A jealous Hilarion unmasks Albrecht, and Giselle is devastated. She goes out of her mind, and falls dead of a broken heart.

Later, in the woods, Hilarion comes to lay a wreath at Giselle’s grave. Unaware that the woods are haunted by wilis (the ghosts of maidens who were jilted before their weddings), he is surprised when the wilis and their Queen, Myrtha, surround hi. They force him to dance until he dies from exhaustion and throw him into the lake. Not long after, Albrecht arrives and the wilis make ready to kill him, too. Just then, Giselle rises from her grave. In spite of his betrayal, she still loves him, so she steps between Albrecht and the Queen and pleads for mercy while Albrecht dances. Sustained by Giselle's unwavering love, he continues until the first light of dawn sends the wilis back to their graves. As the sun comes up, Albrecht is exhausted but alive and Giselle, now a wili herself, returns to her grave.