Let’s face it, most people who go to see a ballet don’t have a clue what’s going on. Without a verbal narrative, the plot can get quite confusing and movements and gestures can get lost in the story. Here is a breakdown of what Giselle is about.
Act 1:
The ballet begins and the audience is taken to a small, random, and irrelevant village called Thuringenan. There lives an innocent little peasant girl named Giselle who has a passion for dancing but tragically also has a weak heart. A young man comes to her village going by the name of Loys, and she is soon courted by him. However, Loys is really Albrecht, a Duke who disguises himself as a peasant.
Within a couple minutes of the ballet, Loys decides to vow his eternal love for Giselle, because why not? However, the moment is ruined by Hilarion, a woodsman who has long pined for Giselle’s affection. Giselle is pretty pissed that Hilarion decided to interrupt their moment and rejects him, making it evident she love Loys, aka Albrecht. Hilarion, feeling butt hurt and insecure, can’t take no for an answer and vows to uncover Loys' true identity so that he and Giselle can live happily ever after.
After this opening scene, Giselle and Loys are met by friends and villagers who are on their way home from a hard day’s work at the vineyards. Naturally, they all decide to join in a dance and celebrate Giselle’s newfound love. However, once again, the mood is ruined. This time it is by Berthe, Giselle’s worrisome mother. She scolds Giselle for dancing too much and goes into a dramatic frenzy about how Giselle’s heart might give out if she continues to dance. The villagers don’t really know what to do so they leave and Giselle goes home with her mother.
With a musical cue of a horn, the hunting party enters. It is led by the Duke and his daughter, Bathilde. Giselle comes out and starts a friendly conversation with Bathilde, and they get to talking about their fiancés. They soon become friends and Bathilde presents Giselle with a necklace.
Meanwhile, Hilarion decides to creep around and find some dirt on Loys. After the hunting party leaves, he retrieves Loys’ sword but finds nothing out of the ordinary with it. Then he spots Loys' hunting horn outside of Giselle’s cottage. He examines it and finds a crest branded into it thus proving Loys is not who he claims to be. The villagers then reenter and Hilarioin decides to wait for the right moment to expose Loys.
The villagers decide to dance once again, but this time in celebration of the harvest. Hilarion, being a mood killer, decides to out Loys in the middle of the festivities. However, Giselle doesn’t believe him. It is only when the hunting party reenters and Bathilde announces that she is engaged to Loys that Giselle comes to terms with the truth. Giselle is distraught and basically goes mad on the stage (the “mad scene” is very famous). She eventually stabs herself with Albrecht's (Loys') sword and dies of a weak and now broken heart.
Act II
This act takes place in a moonlit forest by a lake. It is a etherial and mystical world full of enchantment and unearthly creatures. Here lives the Wilis, young women who died before their wedding day and must spend the rest of their existence dancing. The Wilis are ruled by Myrtha, also known as the queen bitch.
Mythra enters and solemnly dances for a while before summoning her subjects. They dance and initiate Giselle into their cult-like society. Shortly after, a guilty Albrecht enters and mourns at Giselle’s grave begging for her forgiveness. Giselle makes an appearance in her Wilis white garb and then runs off with Albrecht following in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Hilarion is wandering the forest but is found by the Wilis. They decided to make him dance till he dies of exhaustion. He dies and no one really misses his presence.
Albrecht is then targeted by the Wilis. However, Giselle intervenes and tries to save him. She still loves his lying, deceitful self. Mythra is like oh no you didn’t and commands that she dances as well. Albrecht continues to dance and Giselle begs over and over again for Albrecht’s life. Eventually Albrecht is overcome by exhaustion but by this time the first light of dawn is coming out and the Wilis must leave for all their power is lost.
The ballet ends with Albrecht left weeping at her grave and feeling like the shittiest person in the world, as he should. And that’s the twisted story of Giselle!
