Giselle (Opéra National de Bordeaux)

The pastoral realism and fantastical imaginary worlds of the iconic French ballet *Giselle* come to life in designer Matali Crasset’s colorful production at the Bordeaux National Opera. Composed by Adolphe Adam with a libretto by Théophile Gautier and Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, Giselle tells the story of a young peasant girl who falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman in disguise, but dies of a broken heart upon discovering her lover’s true identity. Now transported to the realm of the Wilis—the spirits of young, unmarried women—Giselle sets out to save Albrecht from his unusually macabre fate after the Queen of the Wilis condemns him to dance until he dies.

Originally created by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, and later revised by the great Marius Petipa, the enchanting choreography is performed with elegance against an original backdrop of geometric wooden tree sculptures. Crasset’s staging is not merely a pretty picture: the visual elements of his production represent the union of two worlds—the real and the fantastical, the lower and upper strata of society from which Giselle and Albrecht, respectively, emerge. The conical shape of the tutu, mirrored in the shape of the tree’s branches, reminds us of what lies at the heart of the ballet: dance, the source of both Albrecht’s death and his redemption.