Giselle by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, Music by Adolphe Adam

Giselle tells the tragic story of a young peasant girl caught between earthly love and supernatural fate. In a Rhineland village, Giselle falls deeply in love with Albrecht, a nobleman who disguises himself as a peasant. When her rival Hilarion exposes Albrecht's deception and true betrothal to the noble Bathilde, Giselle's heart breaks. Driven to madness by the revelation, she dies—some versions suggest by her own hand. In the second act, her spirit joins the Wilis, ghostly maidens who died of broken hearts, condemned to dance eternally in the moonlit forest. Albrecht seeks forgiveness at her tomb, and Giselle's love transcends death itself, as she protects him from the Wilis' vengeance and guides him toward redemption. The ballet explores themes of innocence lost, the power of love beyond mortality, and the supernatural consequences of betrayal.