Classical ballet Giselle to be staged at Hanoi Opera House

Hanoi, July 20 (VNA) - The Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will bring classical ballet Giselle back to the stage at Hanoi Opera House on August 2-3, in cooperation with Thanh Productions. Giselle, which is considered one of the most romantic ballets, was written by French dramatist and novelist Theophile Gautier and playwright Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges to music by composer Adolphe Adam, and was first performed by the Paris Opera Ballet in 1841. The two-act ballet is set in a village in southern Germany in the Middle Ages. The first act tells the story of Giselle, a young peasant girl who dies of a broken heart after discovering that her lover, Albrecht, an aristocrat, is engaged to be married to an upper-class woman. The second act is set in the afterlife following Giselle's death. The Wilis, a group of ghostly spirits of dead girls who die from broken hearts, target Albrecht. They have the ability to control men and let them dance until they die. But Giselle defends Albrecht with the power of her great love. Golden ballet artists Thu Hang and Duc Hieu will continue to play the soloist role of the stage when playing Giselle and prince Albrecht. The couple is expected to bring a new breath to the play. The performance will also feature elite artists such as Phan Luong, Nhu Quynh and Ngoc Can, as well as talented young dancers such as Lan Nhi, Khanh Bang, and Lan Chi. Director of VNOB Phan Manh Duc, who is the artistic director of the show, said the play is expected to bring the audience a real feeling on classical ballet technique along with the acting ability of the artists./.