[Eden] Ladies and gentlemen, this is Ballet Reign.
[Jordan] So many of you who watched our Swan Lake insights video that we posted some time ago gave
us such nice feedback on it. [E] We got a lot of comments saying that people wanted to go see Swan
Lake now, and that's crazy to me and that's super exciting. [J] Also a lot of you asked if we could
do more videos on other ballets. So recently we put out a poll on our community tab, asking
which ballet you'd like for us to talk about next. [E] It was like, 75 percent of you wanted
Giselle. We are going to be diving really deep today, so strap on your scuba gear, buckle up,
get yourself some tea or something else to drink— let us know in the comments what your beverage of
choice is; are you a coffee or a tea person? Yeah, we're tea people, so... [J] If you're ready,
tap the like button and let's get into it! [E] Giselle is one of the oldest ballets that is still
performed today, and I think it really changed a lot about ballet as we know it, and it was one
of the first of its kind at the time. Originally titled Giselle, or Les Wilis, but today we refer
to it as Giselle. [J] For context, in 1832, the ballet La Sylphide premiered at the Paris
Opera Ballet with Marie Taglioni in the principal role. La Sylphide sparked the beginning of the
Romantic Era of ballet. The Romantic Era was characterized by the rise and popularity of the
ballerina, since prior to this era male dancers were more prominent. Marie Taglioni became the
epitome of the romantic ballerina in her debut of La Sylphide, being the first ballerina
to dance on pointe and known for her soft, lyrical style of dancing. [E] And that
takes us to this guy. His name is... um... {Google} Théophile Gautier. [E] He is the
one who would go on to write the plot for the ballet Giselle. He had attended a performance
of La Sylphide around 10 years before and was deeply inspired by the ballet. The influence that
La Sylphide had on Gautier can be seen in Giselle, in the concepts, theme, and also the overall
aesthetic. [J] Gautier also drew inspiration for Giselle from Heinrich Heine's story De
L'Allemagne, particularly the part describing the Wilis, which are, in essence, the spirits
of young girls who died after being betrayed by their lovers before their wedding day. Gautier
loved the idea of these beautiful yet vengeful, ethereal beings, thinking that they would make
a pretty ballet. [E] Basically he did it for the aesthetic. [J] Regarding Giselle herself, Gautier
took inspiration from Victor Hugo's Fantômes, which was about a beautiful Spanish girl who
loved to dance, but then she becomes too warm at a ball and then dies of a chill. That's
how the character of Giselle came about. Prior to Giselle, Gautier actually had
no experience writing ballet librettos, which is the storyline or the plot of the ballet,
but he really really wanted to create this ballet, from which he drew so much inspiration from
all of these narratives that were around at the time. So he tried numerous times to come up
with a compelling story, but time after time he still was not satisfied with the story. He knew
he needed help— serious help— if he ever wanted this ballet to really take off, so he called
upon another guy to help him, and this guy's name was... Vernoy... {both laugh}. [E] They're
killing us with these names over here. [J] Vernoy de Saint-Georges. (That's as good as its going to
get.) Saint-Georges loved the original inspiration for Giselle, with the idea of a beautiful and
frail young girl and also the Wilis described in Heinrich Heine's story. So he took all of
those concepts into account while creating the final story of Giselle— [E] Which he pulled
off in a breathtaking three days. Meanwhile, there was a new star rising at the Paris
Opera Ballet, and that was the ballerina Carlotta Grisi. Now, she wasn't incredibly
well-known at this time; her director... Léon... Pillet... {both laugh} [J] Sorry, one more time...
[E] Léon Pillet was looking for an opportunity to sort of... present her to the public and get
her out there. When Gautier and Saint-Georges presented the finished story of Giselle to Léon
Pillet, Pillet was very excited and construction on Giselle immediately began. [J] Jules Perrot and
Jean Corallli were commissioned to choreograph the ballet Giselle, with Perrot undertaking the duty
of choreographing the principal and soloist roles, and Coralli to choreograph the corps de
ballet. Perrot and Grisi were lovers, which is why Perrot was so involved with all of
her choreography and pantomime. Apparently, Perrot wanted to add some dramatic effects to the ballet
and planned for some flight scenes involving the dancers hanging from aerial wires. Grisi was
hesitant to be the first to try this daring feat, so a stagehand was volunteered to test them first.
He crash-landed into the scenery and face-planted on the stage. The flights were cut. [E] In the
19th and 20th century, Marius Petipa— you'll know him from our Swan Lake video— undertook the task
of revising Giselle, and that is the Giselle that we know and perform in this day and age. [J]
The musical score for Giselle was composed by Adolphe Adam. As you'll recall from our Swan Lake
video, Adolphe Adam's score for Giselle uses the Leitmotif Technique. The Leitmotif Technique, if
you don't know, is basically the concept of taking a musical motif and assigning it to a certain mood
or character in the ballet, to kind of help move the plot along and help the audience understand
and connect better with the ballet. [E] Giselle, particularly, is full of really brilliant and
really memorable leitmotifs; so much so that even the great composer Tchaikovsky drew inspiration
from Giselle before beginning his work on Swan Lake. [J] Giselle did premiere on June 28, 1841,
with Carlotta Grisi as the sweet peasant girl Giselle, and Lucien Petipa— [E] Marius Petipa's
brother— [J] As her lover Albrecht. [E] Giselle was a tremendous success and Carlotta Grisi was
praised as the next Marie Taglioni who was the greatest ballerina of their time. So that was
some of the history behind Giselle; if you are still here, thank you <3 Now let's go right into
the plot of the ballet. [J] The ballet is set in the Rhineland in the Middle Ages, just at the end
of the grape harvest. As the ballet opens, the first main character that we come across is named
Hilarion. He is rather fond of Giselle and so he treats her and her mother very kindly in hopes of
winning Giselle's hand. Second appearance is our male protagonist, Count Albrecht. Also sometimes
called Duke Albrecht, and in the original he was called Duke Albert. In any case, his entrance into
the village is marked with this bold, triumphant, kind of flashy theme as he charges into the scene
with the hopes of meeting Giselle. He's disguised himself in peasants' clothes and has given himself
the name Loys in hopes of hiding his nobility from Giselle and the other villagers. [J] He gives his
"noble" articles, such as his sword and his cloak, to his servant to hide away in his cottage. As he
approaches Giselle's house, the big noble-sounding music slowly gets softer and humbler as
he begins to put on his peasant persona, in preparation to call upon Giselle. [E] After
disposing of his servant, Albrecht knocks on the door of the cottage and then hides to observe
Giselle in secret. Giselle's first entrance really portrays her innocence and her joy. She's a young
woman and she loves life and she loves to dance, which we can really see in the light youthful
Allegro and then the delighted mime that she does in her opening solo. So Giselle is both
excited and a little bit confused as to who just knocked on her door, but supposing it
to be Loys-who-is-really-Count-Albrecht, she begins to rehearse within herself what
she might do or say to him. Introverts can relate. [J] If you listen to the music you can
really hear Giselle's inner dialogue voicing both her voice and also the voice of Loys, and how they
might be interacting in this imaginary scenario. The higher strings represent her own voice in
this scenario, and the lower strings represent Loys and what she supposes he might say in
response. [E] And at this opportune time, Albrecht pops out of his hiding place, catching
her by surprise. The quiet melody that follows depicts sort of the playful and slightly bashful
dialogue that's happening between the characters; the way each phrase sort of echoes itself
really beautifully illustrates the banter and the back-and-forth that they're having, and
for a moment it really feels like we're actually hearing them speak. [J] At first Giselle is quite
bashful and a trifle embarrassed, as anyone might be after your crush just pops out of nowhere
as you're rehearsing what you might say to him. She tries vainly to run home, but to Albrecht's
persistence she stays. Albrecht professes his love for her and swears it with an oath but Giselle
rebukes him, saying that to swear is "bad luck", and insists that a daisy is a much more reputable
method for proving his love. Giselle begins to count off, "he loves me" and "he loves me not" on
the daisy, and as she counts the remaining petals, she finds that the last one lands on "he loves
me not". For a moment she is crestfallen, and she stands up to leave. [E] But Albrecht, determined
not to end the relationship due to the prophetic abilities of a mere plant, {Jordan laughs} picks
up the dropped flower, pulls off one petal, and convinces Giselle that she miscounted.
Giselle, being rather naive as she is, believed him wholeheartedly and for a time, they
dance together. Hilarion sees the couple dancing, and he jealously confronts Giselle. He professes
his love for her but Giselle refuses him again and again. Hilarion then turns on Albrecht, and in
a moment of rage, pulls out his dagger. Things escalate pretty quick in ballet. Albrecht reaches
for his sword instinctively, before remembering that said sword is hidden away in his cottage,
and furthermore that no one is even supposed to know he possesses such a sword. Hilarion, however,
picks up on this detail and his suspicions begin to rise regarding "Loys'" true identity. As
Albrecht's nobility begins to shine through a little bit more as he commands Hilarion to leave,
Hilarion's suspicions only increase. [J] The music in this section is particularly brilliant as it
really sounds like an argument that is happening between the characters. Interestingly enough, this
segment of the music, with Albrecht and Hilarion kind of arguing, roughly alludes to Beethoven's
Fifth Symphony. [E] That is really interesting! But I can kind of hear it. We should play it—
[J] We'll play it for the people. [E] As Hilarion leaves, the rest of the townsfolk
enter the scene, having just brought in the grape harvest. Giselle leads the girls in a dance,
and she asks Albrecht to join her. He protests with the excuse that he can't dance, but Giselle
takes him by the hand and begins to teach him step by step. [J] As the dance reaches its climax,
we begin to see the effects of Giselle's frail health. She becomes faint, and Albrecht implores
her to sit down and have a rest. She does, only for a moment though, until her passion for dance
overcomes her entirely and then she rejoins the group just before the dance closes. Her mother,
Berthe, hears all the commotion outside the cottage and comes dashing out to see what's going
on. She knows Giselle has clearly been dancing, and she takes her aside and scolds her for
threatening her health. She warns Giselle, and all the other townsfolk present, with a tale
of the Wilis. [E] Through mime, she begins to describe the Wilis to Giselle and the townsfolk,
alluding to the veils that they wear, the way they fly through the forest, and the way they dance
men to their death. As she's describing them, you can hear these fleeting notes throughout— I
believe it's played on the flute— and it really invokes the feeling of a ghost in flight. In the
end, she begs Giselle not to dance again, lest she die and join the Wilis in her death. [J] Giselle
comforts her mother and she tries to lighten the mood by introducing her to Loys, her new beau. But
her mother responds with a balletic equivalent of "that's nice, hun" and promptly escorts her back
home to the cottage. [E] Albrecht also leaves, and as the scene clears, Hilarion re-enters
the scene, determined to find out "Loys'" true identity. He approaches Albrecht's cottage and
breaks in to investigate. Just as he does so, the trumpeting sound of the noble hunting party
resounds throughout the forest. All the townsfolk flock to the scene to witness the entrance of
the nobility. The finest of them all is Bathilde, accompanied by her father. She is Count
Albrecht's betrothed, but neither she nor any of the others know about Albrecht's double
life, save for Albrecht himself. A servant called upon Giselle and her mother to serve the nobles
and refresh them after their long hunting trip, which is a great honor. [J] As Giselle serves
Bathilde, she admires the imperial train of the countess's skirt, and while Bathilde is unaware,
Giselle quietly stoops to stroke and admire the beautiful fabrics. [E] Bathilde takes notice at
once and addresses her. Giselle sheepishly admits her actions, but Bathilde is quite flattered; she
likes being admired and she is quickly charmed by Giselle. To Bathilde's asking, Giselle introduces
herself and tells her that she loves to dance, proving this point by dancing in a little circle
around the Countess. This is portrayed with the same Waltz theme as earlier, and also with the
same accompanying steps, connecting those two points in the ballet. [J] Bathilde is impressed
by her dancing but then beckons to her to ask a confidential question; that is whether or not
she has a lover. Giselle joyfully confirms, saying that she does indeed have a fiancé, and
she searches the crowd to find Loys. However, she finds that Loys has strangely disappeared,
so she returns to Bathilde, assuring her that he does indeed exist but he just isn't here just
now. Bathilde, in return, shares that she also is betrothed, but neither of them suspect that both
of their intendeds are the same Count Albrecht. [E] Bathilde, by this time, is far beyond pleased
with Giselle, and so she goes to her father asking for a fitting way to show honor to Giselle. Her
father suggests that perhaps Bathilde give Giselle the jeweled necklace she is currently wearing, and
Bathilde is more than happy to agree. She calls for Giselle, who obediently comes, and she places
the jeweled necklace around her neck. [J] Giselle is enthralled and thanks Bathilde earnestly before
running the show the necklace to her mother, and all her friends, and really anybody who'd
be willing to listen. [E] To show her thanks, she gathers a couple and presents them to the
Countess, saying that they will dance for her amusement. And this is the Peasant Pas de Deux,
and it wasn't always in the original ballet. Funny story actually; I believe it came about from one
dancer who was probably a little salty that she didn't get the main role, and she wanted her own
star moment. I believe she had *connections* and so they were willing to make it happen for her.
I'm not sure if the most honest way to go about it, but that's how the Peasant Pas de Deux came
about. It's a really really sweet pas de deux and it's an iconic part of the ballet today.
After applauding the performers, Bathilde and her father retire to Giselle's cottage and
the villagers begin to leave the scene. [J] Here, Hilarion emerges from Albrecht or "Loys'" cottage
with an important discovery. His suspicions of Albrecht's facade have been confirmed with
his findings of a nobleman's cloak and sword, which are not at all found amongst peasants. [E]
Hilarion knows that Giselle and Loys cannot be together due to the difference in social class,
and out of his love for Giselle he seeks for an opportunity to tell her the truth, although in
some versions he is merely a bitter, jealous rival who is looking for a way to expose Albrecht
publicly. But at the sound of the harvesters returning with celebratory songs, he decides that
it is probably best to keep quiet for a little longer. [J] The harvest celebrations culminate
when the villagers call Giselle out of her cottage and crown her the Queen of the Harvest. Though
she was too weak to participate in the sowing and the harvesting herself, she was beloved by all
the villagers for her kind-heartedness and was bestowed this honor nonetheless. Since she had
just received the honor of being crowned Queen of the Harvest, Giselle implores her mother to
please let her dance for all the townsfolk who are gathered there, and after some coaxing, her mother
finally relents because it is a special occasion and she wants Giselle to have a good time. [E] And
this leads into the famous Giselle variation. Now the location of this variation within the ballet
changes from production to production; sometimes she will perform the variation directly after
receiving the necklace from Bathilde and she'll perform it as a gift of thanks; sometimes she will
present the Peasant Pas de Deux to Bathilde first, and then she'll do her variation; and sometimes
she'll perform it for the townsfolk in celebration of the harvest, as we're illustrating here. [J]
The dainty footwork and turns in Giselle's famous variation are a reflection of Giselle's humble
demeanor and character. She isn't the type to dance for sake of showing off, or to gain praise
from anybody else, but she dances out of joy, and love, and appreciation for everything in life.
Artistry and character development is of utmost importance when carrying the role of Giselle, in
contrast to a more-so technical role like Aurora from the Sleeping Beauty. [E] Since the ballet
Giselle features a real girl in the real world, the artistry and character portrayal of Giselle
and the technicality of the steps need to merge together as one, for every step the ballerina
performs, in order to draw the audience in to the story and make it feel like real life. [J] Giselle
is particularly happy in this part of the ballet, because her mother has given her permission to
dance to her heart's content. She dances again with Loys, and again with the other villagers, but
all this while Hilarion is watching quietly. By and by, he feels that he can no longer hold his
newfound truth to himself for a moment longer. He separates a couple with a shove, and bows
mockingly to Albrecht. [E] Giselle, confused, asks Hilarion what he means by his sarcastic gestures,
and to that, Hilarion does nothing but runs to collect his findings. Giselle meanwhile, runs
to Loys to be comforted, where Loys assures her that Hilarion is completely out of his mind, and
reaffirms his love for her. He embraces Giselle, but Hilarion returns with the nobleman's sword he
found in Albrecht's cottage, and puts it between the couple, separating them. [J] Giselle demand an
explanation from Hilarion, and he tells her that this nobleman's sword belongs to Loys and that he
isn't the peasant that he's been making himself up to be all this time. Hilarion sounds the hunting
horn, which he also found in Albrecht's cottage, and to the call, all the noblemen come quickly to
the scene, including Bathilde and her father from Giselle's cottage. Albrecht is frozen in fear
and wishes with all his heart that there was some way out of this predicament; but with all
the noblemen returning to the scene, he has no choice but to calmly square his shoulders and
reassume the air of the Count Albrecht that he really is. [E] Bathilde confronts Albrecht and
laughingly questions his choice of commoner's attire, to which Albrecht nonchalantly replied
that he wasn't sure what he was thinking as he was getting ready that morning. He then bows and
cordially greets her as his fiancée. [J] Giselle, who has been watching this whole exchange unfold
before her eyes, is suddenly overcome by her shock and rushes in between the couple. Conflicted
on balancing her respect towards the Countess with her unmeasured desperation, she tries to
tell Bathilde that Loys is her betrothed. But Bathilde laughs at her foolish talk, assuring
her that his name is *Count Albrecht*, not Loys, and that he is indeed her fiancé. Giselle is still
in denial and rushes to Loys to be comforted and assured of his true love for her, but this time
he can't look her in the eyes or even face her. In that moment, the truth hits Giselle harder
than she can bear, and she flies into a state of madness, tearing the Countess's necklace from
her neck and falling to the ground. [E] Giselle's mother tries to soothe her, but not knowing the
extent of the damages Albrecht has caused her. As Giselle slowly gets up off the ground,
there is a different look in her eyes, which becomes alarming to her mother and also to
the onlookers. At this point in the story, Giselle can hardly see or hear anything around her, except
for vivid memories of herself and Loys. [J] She remembers the time Albrecht swore his love to her
by lifting his hand in oath, and she remembers the daisy on which she counted "he loves me" and "he
loves me not". Those last words pierce her heart and her imagination vanishes into reality. [E]
This whole segment of the ballet— the Mad Scene, as it is called— is full of leitmotifs, both in
the musical score and in the choreography, which so clearly depicts Giselle's full train of thought
as she brings those previous moments in the ballet to the audience remembrance as well as hers. [J]
As she stumbles over Albrecht's sword, she picks it up and attempts to do away with herself, but
someone— usually Albrecht or Hilarion— wrenches the sword from her grip just in the nick
of time. Giselle laughs at him deliriously, but as she turns, her eyes meet Bathilde's and she
falls to the ground again in horror. [E] Giselle's mother tries to get her to come inside and rest,
but Giselle cannot hear her amid the song from the harvest celebration playing in her head. Suddenly,
something flying overhead catches Giselle's eye, and she rushes over to take a better look.
Her mother is terrified, certain that Giselle is seeing the Wilis. Again you can hear those
fleeting notes played on the flute, as Giselle looks out into the dark of the audience to see
where it came from. [J] More memories of her dance with Albrecht flood her mind, and the previous
footwork begins to take control of her feet, but this time in a very choppy and ungraceful
manner. She begins to dance wilder and wilder, but she suddenly stops as a sharp pain seizes her
chest; her heart is beginning to fail. {Both draw a breath} [J] AaAH She feels a sudden chill sweep
over her body, and she rushes desperately through the crowds, not recognizing a single one. [E] At
last, Hilarion manages to restrain her and ease her out of her mad state just enough for her to
recognize him. He points to her mother, whose arms or outstretched to her and Giselle rushes into
her embrace. [J] She turns to see Loys, whose arms are also outstretched to her, and I think at
this point in the ballet he would be willing to give up his noble ranks to be with her and save
her life. Giselle breaks away from her mother and rushes towards Loys, and for a moment we— and
everybody on the stage as you can tell by their expressions— believe that Giselle is going to be
okay, and recover and soon return to normal. But just as she reaches him, her body goes completely
limp. Albrecht gently lowers Giselle's body to the ground and attempts to wake her, thinking that
she is only fainted. But Giselle doesn't respond, and Albrecht and all the onlookers quickly realize
that she has died. [E] Panic seizes the village, and Giselle's mother pushes Albrecht aside to
mourn over the loss of her daughter. Albrecht blames Hilarion for Giselle's death, but Hilarion
points out that it is Albrecht's deception that ultimately brought Giselle to her demise.
Albrecht knows this is true, but there is nothing more he can do now, other than grieve
the loss of his true love and the love of all the village. [J] In some productions, Albrecht
is forced out of the village, never to return, and in others he remains weeping over Giselle's
body until the curtain closes. [E] But either way, the closing of Act 1 always ends with a
tragic picture on the stage and musical accompaniment that represents the
whole town in a state of mourning. [J] So that was act one of Giselle, and as you
can see that Mad Scene is really what bridges the gap between the beginning of Act 1, which is
so full of life, and then Act 2 as you'll see in a moment is completely dead; it's really ethereal,
ghostly, and kind of eerie in a way. And the Mad scene is really what brings those two together
to form one ballet, because if you just watch Act 1 and you watch Act 2, it's like completely
different ballets; like a totally different style, different way of movement, it's totally
disassociated. But that Mad Scene in the middle is really what brings those two together,
and that contrast is what really puts us on the emotional roller coaster of the highest highs and
the lowest lows, and then we come up again in the end— you'll see— why don't we just get it into
Act 2? [E] Why don't we? Let's do that. Giselle Act 2 opens in a forest in the dead of night. This
is the place where Giselle has been laid to rest, as the madness prior to her death forbids her
from being buried in a respectable cemetery. In the darkness of the set, you can't really
see very much, so Adam uses the music to paint the picture of what's going on and to set the
scene. Again he brings in those fleeting notes that represent the Wilis, and in the little light
that we have on the stage, you can see them flying across the stage or fading in and out of sight.
The Wilis continue to appear and disappear in the background as Hilarion enters the scene, looking
to mourn at Giselle's grave. When he senses these otherworldly presences, he remembers Giselle's
mother's warning. He is terrified and runs off, in hopes of escaping the forest before the Wilis
can find him. [J] A single ghostly figure with a thin veil materializes in the clearing. This is
Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis. She has risen from her grave to awaken the others and lead them
into their nightly dance. Her opening variation sharply contrasts the previous act; instead of
joyful, lively dancing, Myrtha is cold, ethereal, and lifeless. [E] Myrtha holds two myrtle
branches in her hand, which are symbolic of love, purity, and marital fidelity. These white flowers
represent the wedding bouquet that the Wilis could never hold during their lifetimes. Myrtha uses
these branches to rouse the other Wilis and to lead them to avenge their deaths caused by their
unfaithful partners. Throwing the myrtle branches to the left and right, Myrtha summons the Wilis
to rise from their graves. As she does, the Wilis materialize in ranks, veiled in what should have
been their wedding veils, heads bowed in reverence to their Queen. The position of their arms is
also important to note, as it symbolizes the children that they were never able to hold during
their lifetime. Myrtha summons them to dance; they fill the clearing and do so with ethereal ghastly
beauty. [J] Then the moment has come; Giselle must rise from her grave and be initiated into the
Wilis' ranks. She appears at Myrtha's bidding, and dances for the first time; finally free from
her earthly or physical boundaries. [E] The Wilis sense a passerby in the forest, and as quickly
as they appeared, they vanish. Albrecht enters the clearing, heavy with remorse, holding lilies
to lay at Giselle's grave. As he kneels to weep there, he suddenly senses Giselle's presence
nearby. Confused and terrified, he stands up to look for her; but when he does not find her, he
kneels again, distraught. [J] Then Giselle comes floating towards him; her demeanor has changed
from an innocent youthful girl to an ethereal and sorrowful spirit, which is so beautifully
portrayed in this pas de deux. [E] Here is another brilliant musical moment in the ballet which might
easily be missed; if you really listen carefully, you'll notice that this is actually the
motif that is played in the "he loves me, he loves me not" scene, and also during Giselle's
flashbacks in the Mad Scene. Only this time, the melodic contour is actually reversed. So
in the original motif, the main melody pattern starts on a note— I believe it's B— and then it
goes higher a little, and then it goes lower. whereas in this part of the ballet, the melody
starts on a note, then goes down first then comes up a little. I always imagine the sort of reversed
mirroring illustrates the fact that Giselle is meeting Albrecht from "the other side", no longer
as a human, but as a spirit. [J] You can see her delicate and transparent nature by the way that
she continually slips through Albrecht's grasp, and also the sustained balances and boureés she
performs throughout the pas de deux. Pointe \work is an extremely important part of every ballet,
but specifically in Giselle, to give the illusion of weightless spirits floating across the stage.
As a matter of fact, Giselle is one of the very first full-length ballets to be performed en
pointe. This and other romantic ballets such as La Sylphide are really what pushed pointework
forward, which has since gone on to becoming synonymous with ballet itself. [E] This pas de
deux is incredibly emotional, and it really speaks of the love Giselle has for Albrecht, despite
his betrayal and the sorrow he caused her, and also despite the great separation between spirit
and mortal. Throughout the pas de deux, Giselle often disappears, leaving Albrecht wondering if he
has really truly seen Giselle or if it is just a product of his imagination. But at last, Giselle
reappears and she scatters these white flowers over him; and I think at that moment he really
realizes because he has this tangible sign that Giselle really has come to him. [J] The white
flowers represent purity and also forgiveness, and that's the moment where he also realizes
the extent of Giselle's love for him; that she not only loves him but she will forgive
him for everything that he has done, including her death. [E] As Albrecht follows Giselle into
the mist, a frantic Hilarion enters the clearing being quickly surrounded by Wilis. He begs Myrtha
their Queen for mercy but her cold smile seals his fate. The Wilis begin to dance, forcing Hilarion
to dance with them. And the Wilis, being spirits, never tire, but Hilarion grows more and more
exhausted. He repeatedly pleased Myrtha for mercy, but again and again she refuses. Until finally,
with a single command, the Wilis drive Hilarion into the lake to his death. The Wilis are pleased
by their success, but not satisfied. Albrecht is next. The Wilis drive him to their Queen, where
she orders him to the knee and commands him to dance. All at once, Giselle rushes to the scene to
plead with Myrtha on behalf of her beloved. Myrtha refuses again, and the Wilis prepare to force
Albrecht to dance to his death in the same manner they did Hilarion. But Giselle rushes Albrecht to
her grave, where the cross at its head overpowers the Wilis; even Myrtha cannot stand against
the cross. [J] Myrtha is momentarily shaken, but nevertheless recovers. Craftily, she commands
Giselle to dance in Albrecht's place. Giselle, begging Albrecht to stay near to the cross,
does so, conveying her sorrow and intercession for Albrecht in what is known to be a famously
difficult passage of Adagio. [E] As she dances, Albrecht is drawn towards her, and soon he
leaves his place by the cross to dance with Giselle. Apart from the cross, he is now under
the control of the Wilis, who compel him to keep dancing despite his exhaustion. This section of
the ballet is genuinely tiring for the danseur, as it is made up of almost exclusively big jumps
and batterie. The most famous part of this section is probably the 32-count sequence of repeated
entrechat six. It's meant to illustrate the Wilis' power controlling him; he's dying of exhaustion
but he cannot stop it; they are draining his life and energy by forcing him to expend it
himself. [J] Throughout Albrecht's torture, Giselle continually reappears to intercede for
him, knowing that if she can just preserve him until dawn breaks, he will be saved. But
as Albrecht grows more and more weary, Giselle grows more and more desperate,
longing for morning to break. [E] At last, Albrecht falls to the ground, and the Wilis
believe they have triumphed. But then, faintly in the distance, one can hear the morning
bells toll and the ghostly maidens begin to fade as they are drawn back towards their graves. [J]
Giselle lingers by Albrecht, and gently brings him back to consciousness as she holds him one
more time. She knows she cannot stay with him, for she is being pulled back to her grave; and she
knows she will never rise again to join the Wilis, for she has spared a man. This is the final time
she will ever see him; Albrecht is free to live, and she is free to rest in peace. [E] Albrecht
tries to hold on to her, but Giselle slips away. As she sinks into her grave, she gives him a
single lily; tangible proof that she loved him even though his betrayal was the cause of her
death, and tangible proof of his redemption. All right, so that was Giselle... as you
can see we are now completely emotionally wrecked {Both laugh} [J] Tap the like button for
emotional support. [E] Redemption stories always get me, though. I think there's something
so beautiful and so universal to the human experience, and there's something so touching
about being forgiven and being redeemed; and I think it resonates with— [J] With all audiences.
A big thank-you to everyone who requested this video, everyone who participated in the poll we
put out; we had a lot of fun making this video, we love doing videos like these, and we
love sharing with all of you. But anyways, thank you for your feedback; we do read it, we
do listen to you guys, and we love hearing from you. So please head down to the comments and
let us know your favorite part about Giselle, and also feel free to share this video with a
friend, someone special, someone you love. [E] As always, if you like videos like these, tap the
subscribe button, and press the bell button to be notified when we post a new video. I think
that is all from us for now? [J] Yes! [E] That is all from us for now! This is Ballet Reign
signing off until the next video. [J] Bye~ No tears were shed in the making of this video.
Okay maybe one. Two. And a half. Dozen.
