Giselle at Shanghai Oriental Art Center· Opera Hal

First staged in Paris in 1841, Giselle, to a scenario developed by the poet and novelist Théophile Gaultier (1811–1872) is one of the oldest surviving ballets still in the international repertory. It contains many of the features that have become hallmarks of Romantic ballet, including technically challenging pas de deux and solos for the main characters, mime sequences, extended passages of dancing en pointe and a corps de ballet dressed in long white tutus. The score, by Adolphe Adam (1803–1856) was one of the first full-length ballet scores ever to be composed.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet presents a new staging of Giselle, the earliest and most romantic of all classical ballets. Co-produced by RNZB Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel and acclaimed Royal Ballet Principal Johan Kobborg, Giselle is the eagerly anticipated highlight of the RNZB’s current season in New Zealand, portraying drama, tragedy, romance and redemption in a stunning traditional production.