The original version, on a libretto by Théophile Gautier and music by
Adolphe Adam, tells the story of how Giselle, a poor girl seduced by a
deceitful nobleman, dies when she discovers the lie of which she is the
victim. The supernatural – at the time very fashionable – allows Giselle
to become a spirit who never ceases to defend her prince.
The dance by Mats Ek is highly influenced by theatre, while remaining
in the technical lineage of the Cullberg dynasty (Mats Ek is the son of
Birgit Cullberg). Here, it goes beyond the tragedy of the original
libretto by making Giselle a village idiot abused by a cynical seducer
from the city, transforming the supernatural into a psychiatric asylum.
It draws a powerful and disturbing social portrait of the distress of a
betrayed woman who loses her reason, a mirror of society and its
failings. A very technical dance magnified by its theatrical overtones,
this choreography by Mats Ek is a reference among ballets of the end of
the 20th century.
Opera de Lille, Giselle, available from http://www.opera-lille.fr/en/saison-09-10/bdd/cat/danse/sid/99166_giselle, [Accessed 17th March 2012]
In Marius Petipa's 'Giselle', Giselle dies and gets sent to the wilis whereas, in Mats Ek's 'Giselle' Giselle goes mental so gets sent to a mental institution.
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