Often acknowledged as the queen of romantic ballet, Giselle is a genuinely outstanding phenomenon in the classical ballet repertoire. The ballet's elaborate structure, ranging from the imaginative minds of its charismatic creators to its two contrasting acts and the evocative score by Adolphe Adam, justifies its celebrated status. Premiering soon after La Sylphide, Giselle marked a new path in the evolution of classical ballet. By contrasting a realistic life story in the first act with the fantasy of the second, or white act, Giselle became a guiding example for future grand ballets. The story revolves around a young peasant girl whose unrequited love shatters her heart, drawing her into the ethereal realm of forsaken brides who passed away before their weddings and before they could fulfil their longing to dance.
Giselle's authors, drawing inspiration from the artistry of Carlotta Grisi, a leading ballerina of the period, crafted a ballet piece reflecting the essential qualities of Romanticism, the prevailing artistic movement of the time. In honouring the art of dance, the piece brought together all components of a rich artistic creation: music, movement, theatricality, and visual art, primarily guided by dance and flawlessly aligned with the aesthetic ideals of the Romantic movement.
Premiered in Paris in 1841, the ballet featured choreography by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli, based on the libretto by Théophile Gautier, Romantic poet and theorist, and Jules-Henry Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Coralli, drawing from a ghostly tale by the renowned German Romantic author, Heinrich Heine. Enthralling the audience at its premiere, Giselle quickly became a fundamental piece of the ballet canon, preserving its reputation for 180 years, with more than two hundred performances at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb to date.
Iva Vitić Gameiro received the “Ana Roje” Award for the title role in the ballet Giselle in the 2021/2022 season, while Guilherme Gameiro Alves received the “Oskar Harmoš” Award for the role of Count Albrecht in the same season. In the 2024/2025 season, the ballet Giselle marked its 200th performance.
