Giselle is the quintessential story of unrequited love. Giselle, an innocent young village girl, loves to dance in spite of the uncertainty of a weak heart, and enjoys a simple life in her village. This story follows her through tender romance, betrayal, heartbreak, death and the afterlife, as she ultimately saves the life of a man who has betrayed her.

Act I. A village in Germany.

On the day of the village wine festival, Prince Albrecht disguises himself as a peasant in order to court the beautiful Giselle. Unaware of his noble birth, Giselle resists his zeal and persistence as he gently tempts her to trust his pledge of eternal love. A hunting party arrives in the village and disrupts his plans. The entourage includes Albrecht's father and the beautiful Princess Bathilde, to whom Albrecht is already engaged.

Upon meeting Giselle, Princess Bathilde is immediately enchanted with her youthful innocence. They enjoy an animated conversation and discover that they are both engaged to marry. Unaware that they are betrothed to the same man, Bathilde gives her a beautiful gold necklace to celebrate their recent engagements. Giselle asks her friends to dance for the hunting party's entertainment.

Hilarion, the village gamekeeper who is deeply in love with Giselle, discovers Albrecht's disguise and is consumed with jealousy. He proceeds to reveal his rival's true identity to the village. Giselle is distraught by the unveiled deception and loses her reason. Uncontrollable and inconsolable, Giselle attempts to kill herself with Albrecht's sword, hears the Wilis summoning her, and dies.

Act II. Giselle's tomb in the forest

Giselle has been buried deep in the forest and has now become one of the Wilis. The Wilis are ghostly apparitions of folklore, girls who have died betrayed by their unfaithful fiancés on the eve of their weddings. They haunt the forest, luring wayfarers to dance with them until they die from exhaustion before the dawn.

At the beginning of the act, Hilarion is discovered mourning at Giselle's grave. Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, summons the maidens and Hilarion is forced to dance until he collapses and dies.

Albrecht, full of remorse, also comes to mourn at Giselle's grave. The Queen commands Giselle to come from her grave and entice Albrecht to join in her dance. Giselle is obliged to obey the queen and dances with Albrecht through the night. Although Albrecht has betrayed Giselle, she still loves him and helps him to stay alive until the dawn - when the Wilis lose their power and will not be able to destroy him.

With the arrival of dawn, Giselle vanishes back into her grave. Through her pure and selfless love, Giselle has been able to protect and save Albrecht's life. Albrecht is left alone with his sorrow.

- courtesy of Festival Ballet Providence