We know how Merce Cunningham works and how he thinks—we've been told, over and over again, by him and by others. We know that the dance is a thing apart from the music; that elements of the dance have been determined by chance procedures, often...

We know how Merce Cunningham works and how he thinks—we've been told, over and over again, by him and by others. We know that the dance is a thing apart from the music; that elements of the dance have been determined by chance procedures, often...

You know where you are with Giselle. The text is clear (unlike that of Swan Lake, say); the only real interpretive question is whether Albrecht is a wicked aristocratic seducer (the preferred Soviet slant) or a well-meaning young man whose love for a peasant girl...

You know where you are with Giselle. The text is clear (unlike that of Swan Lake, say); the only real interpretive question is whether Albrecht is a wicked aristocratic seducer (the preferred Soviet slant) or a well-meaning young man whose love for a peasant girl...

Originally performed in Paris in 1841, Giselle is a unique, interesting romantic ballet choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. Adolphe Adam beautifully composes the music. Of particular note are the ways in which the footwork and the music in Giselle correspond, the facial expressions and body movements of the dancers, and the contrast of the costume designs.