"Giselle"
Grand Kyiv Ballet
Music Hall, Detroit, Mich.
March 1, 2026
Following their performance of “Snow White” in December, the Grand Kyiv Ballet returned to Detroit Sunday for an equally lovely production of “Giselle.” Performed to a score by Adolphe Adam, the 1841 ballet is a favorite in the ballet repertoire and the epitome of the Romantic style – emotional, supernatural and lots of long, flowy skirts.
The ballet follows the sad love story of Giselle, a peasant girl who goes mad and dies of heartbreak after discovering her love Albrecht has betrayed her and is engaged to someone else. Beyond the grave she is summoned to join the Wilis, female spirits who had also been betrayed before their wedding days and now seek their revenge on any man who wanders into their path. But Giselle’s heart proves stronger in death, and she saves her love from having to dance to his grave.
There’s something deliciously dark about “Giselle.” There’s no magical love story that ends in happily ever after. There are betrayal and heartache to the point of madness and death – and that’s just by the end of Act I. In Act II we meet the Wilis, a literal band of pissed-off lady ghosts ready to take extreme measures to punish cheating men, which I’m sure many women will find satisfying.
Despite madness, death and vengefulness, “Giselle” was simply beautiful. Movements were soft and floating, anchored by delicately crossed arms, interweaving arabesques and Giselle’s signature one-foot hops en pointe, a step that seems incredibly painful but was performed with ease and grace.
The long, flowing skirts were mesmerizing, dominating Act II in a sea of soft tulle. There were bits of plot as Giselle tried to protect Albrecht from the wrath of the Queen of the Willis, but I mostly just got lost in the prettiness.
The least “pretty” but one of the best parts of the performance was Giselle’s signature madness scene that concludes Act I. Augmented with red flashing lights, Grand Kyiv’s Giselle nailed the character’s descent into insanity. With messy hair around her shoulders, escaped from their neat bun, Giselle was sometimes dazed, sometimes sad and sometimes dragging a sword around with a grin on her face and a threat in her eyes. It was a fantastic transition from the sweet, innocent girl who liked to frolic around the village picking flowers.
“Giselle” is one of the world’s most loved ballets for a reason, and Grand Kyiv Ballet shows why. The tale is haunting, the characters are interesting, and the visuals are enchanting. As my friend said, “It’s just pretty.” We enjoyed the pretty, you should too.
