Giselle

When it comes to ballet, many are familiar with the tale of the young woman who transforms into a swan in “Swan Lake.” However, do you know about another ballet story that is equally beautiful and renowned? It is the tale of love and tragedy of a young woman named ‘Giselle’ in the chilling ballet, “Giselle.” Giselle is a village girl living with her mother in a vineyard in the Irish countryside. One day, she encounters Duke Albrecht of Silesia, who is about to marry Princess Bathilde, daughter of Prince Hylas. At the time, Duke Albrecht disguises himself as a villager named ‘Loys’ to go on a journey, and Giselle falls in love with him at first sight, despite being warned by her mother and her close male friend. Ensnared in the realm of love, Giselle constantly thinks of the man she desires, to the extent of plucking daisy petals one by one to guess if Loys truly loves her. However, her dreams of being with the man she loves shatter when she discovers that Loys is actually a nobleman about to get married. Overwhelmed by disappointment and the torment of being deceived by the man she loves, Giselle spirals into heartbreak and dies, her heart shattered. Giselle’s body is buried deep in the dark forest, where her spirit transforms into the ‘Wili’ or the spirits of young women who died after being abandoned by their lovers. They seek to haunt and take revenge on men who venture into the forest by enticing them to dance until they are exhausted and ultimately die. Upon learning of the young woman’s death, Albrecht sets out to find Giselle’s grave to pay tribute to the love they shared. When Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, discovers this, she summons Giselle from her grave to ensure Albrecht meets his end. However, Giselle’s immense love for Albrecht prevents her from harming the man she loves. She secretly helps Albrecht survive until dawn, the time when the power of the Wilis waned. As the dawn approaches, Giselle vanishes into the deep forest as before, leaving Albrecht to endure the sorrow of being unable to be with the one he loves. Moreover, her transformation into a Wili forces Giselle to perpetually swirl in a cycle of seeking vengeance and haunting men who enter the forest, a cycle with no end in sight.