Giselle
Choreography · Jean Coralli (1841)
music by Adolphe Adam
A peasant girl, Giselle, falls in love with Albert, a nobleman disguised as a villager, unaware that he is already betrothed to a noblewoman named Bathilde. When his deception is revealed, the shock unhinges Giselle's fragile mind and she dies of heartbreak. In the forest that night, the Wilis - spirits of women who died before their wedding day - rise from their graves and induct Giselle into their ranks, intent on using her to help destroy the grief-stricken Albert. But Giselle's love proves stronger than the Wilis' vengeance, and she shields him until dawn breaks and their power fades, saving his life before returning to her grave.