A romantic ballet par excellence, it was born from the imagination of the great writer Théophile Gautier, who was fascinated by the legend of the Willi, characters from German folk tradition. The Willi are spirits of young women in ornate wedding dresses, who died for love before marriage, who wander the woods at nightfall seeking revenge on the men by whom they have been betrayed, forcing them to dance until death itself. The famous ballet is re-enacted in a unique and mystical way by the Ballet of the Romanian Opera House with exceptional costumes and sets to 19th-century choreography by Jean Coralli. Original, curated version of a clear example of romantic ballet where sacred and profane, flesh and spirit, love and death, earthly and heavenly dimensions, pantomime and “ballet blanc” merge. More than a century and a half later Giselle continues to fascinate audiences. It is marked by two paradigmatic roles in the academic repertoire: the peasant girl Giselle who dies of love madness, and the lover Albrecht, the prince who plays with her and betrays her, only to redeem himself. A Ballet that will fill all audiences with love and passion.

PLOT
The ballet consists of two acts: the first is about Giselle’s affair that culminates in her death; the second act, on the other hand, is about the legend of the Villi and Giselle’s love for Albrecht that culminates in her willingness to save his life, even though this was the main cause of his death.

Act I
In a village during the grape harvest, among the vines, a young peasant girl, Giselle, who loves to dance and would give her life for this passion, falls in love with a young man, Albrecht, whose origins she ignores since he shows up and woos her disguised as a commoner: he is a prince. Giselle and Albrecht dance joyfully despite the constant reminders of her mother, who admonishes her for her poor health. Albrecht’s suitor, jealous of this love for Giselle, noticing the latter’s cloak and sword, realizes how things really are. The court, engaged in a hunting party, enters the village to find refreshment. Among its members is Albrecht’s betrothed, a noblewoman. The rival in love unmasks the prince in front of everyone: Giselle, hopelessly in love, goes mad and dies of grief.

Act II
In the middle of the night, Albrecht goes to the forest, where he finds Giselle’s grave, marked with a cross. Desperate, he prays in front of the girl’s grave and from there emerges this one transformed into a villi. The Villi Queen gathers all her disciples to herself and together with them begins to dance with Albrecht. Their intent was to make the young man die of exhaustion, and they would have succeeded if Giselle had not intervened to sustain him until dawn, at which time the other villi are forced to vanish.