Giselle White
Music Giselle by Adophe Adam (1841)
Choreographed after Sergueff, restaged by Dimitri Romanoff
Costumes by Paul Plesh
It could be argued that Giselle may be the greatest romantic ballet of all time. Balanchine of NYCB had a complicated relationship with Giselle, in part because of the reliance on mime to further the plot along as well as the static quality of the corps who act as backdrop rather than dancers.
In 1991, Boston Ballet rented Giselle sets from American Ballet Theatre and they made the costumes for the production.The costume designer, Paul Plesh was the Director of Wardrobe at the time as well as a former dancer. Because of his background as the person who both wore and then cared for the costumes, Plesh brought a unique point of view to the process.