Jules Joseph Perrot born August 18,1810 and died August 18,1892. He was French virtuoso dancer and master choreographer. He was recognized for creating some of the most known ballets of the Romantic period. His talent began in his native Lyon by imitating the comic dancer Charles Mazurier. Which led to a engagement at the Gaite Theatre in Paris in 1823.
Giselle is the most famous ballet originating from the Romantic era, which was created by the French poet and writer Theophile Gautier. He wrote the plot based in a German legend he had found in a book of poet Heinrich Heine. Gautier was very fond of the Italian ballerina and pupil of the choreographer Jules Perrot, Carlotta Grisi, thus, he made her the star of his ballet.
The ballet was first performed in Russia in 1842 and, with the help of Marius Petipa, was restaged in Saint-Petersbourg a few years later. Sadly, it was dropped from Western Europe’s stages after a few years until it was revived in 1910 y Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes who came to France to perform.
The history of the ballet Giselle was choreographed by Gautier it was about a young girl who dies from injuries received from the sword of Albrecht’s. Petipa didn’t think it was suitable that Giselle should die that way. Instead Petipa story of Giselle was that the young girl dies of a weak heart caused by sorrow and sadness. Giselle’s lover was Albrecht. Albrecht was already engaged to another girl Bathilde.
Opera was becoming more popular and woman dominated the ballet in this era. The famous male dancers in the era were Jules Perrot and Arthur Saint-Leon. The famous female dancers were Marie Taglioni, Fanny Elssler, Carlotti Grisis and Fanny Cerrito. Male dancer were used just to partner the girls.
The ballet Giselle and