Giselle

Late Romanticism bears the marks of an intellectual and creative transition toward a new era, one in which modernism would emerge.

The dramaturgical structure of Giselle reveals the first signs of ballet’s immersion in the sensuality of this new age. The passage from one reality to another, which shapes the plot of Giselle, is a mark of the irrationality that had by then taken an irresistible hold on the senses of artists and creators of the time.

If the first act of Giselle uses dance to portray the earthly passions of ordinary people, expressed through typical melodramatic devices and brought to a climax with Giselle’s death, then in the second act both the audience and the performers onstage enter the realms of a fantastical reality beyond our familiar world. The mystical domain of the Wilis—shades from the afterlife—captures the imagination, and they themselves remain enthralled by the power of love.

Creative Team

• Composer: Adolphe Adam
• Production: Petar Lukanov
• Conductor: Viliana Valcheva
• Orchestra, soloists, and ensemble: Ballet of the State Opera – Ruse
• Concertmaster: Tamara Lazarova
• Set design: Ivan Savov
• Costumes: Elka Todorova
• Artistic director: Vesela Vasileva
• Assistant director: Elena Koleva