The Australian Ballet had programmed Graeme Murphy’s new ballet The Happy Prince for Sydney this month, but when Murphy’s illness forced its postponement, the Sydney slot was filled with Maina Gielgud’s much-loved production of Giselle. Gielgud created her version in 1986, when she was the company’s Artistic Director, to replace Peggy van Praagh’s, which had come to an untimely end the previous year when the scenery went up in smoke during a regional tour.

Ako Kondo and Chengwu Guo. Photograph © Daniel Boud

More than 30 years and over 250 performances later (Wednesday’s first night marked the 266th performance), Gielgud’s Giselle is still delighting audiences. Naturally all eyes are on the ballerina in the title role and Ako Kondo rose to the occasion with an exquisite performance.

One of the great, classical story ballets, telling a tragic tale of love, betrayal, madness, death, supernatural spirits and final salvation, Giselle has captivated audiences since it was first staged in 1841. Gielgud’s lovely, thoroughly traditional production uses the 19th-century choreography of Marius Petipa, Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, and tells the story with dramatic clarity and great heart. It’s also a lovely looking production, with sets and costumes...