Giselle was created to show off the beauty of line, virtuosity and romantic qualities so beloved at the time of its inception in the long-ago 1800s. However, based on myth as most ballets were then, with its ghostly Wilis out to wreak havoc in the dead of night on male-folk who have done them wrong, it has its relevance today – not only in the timeless story of thwarted love but specifically by its parallel to current events – such as the princely Albrecht (Oscar Valdes) discarding his aristocratic duties to dally with the pleasurable, “freedom” of ordinary life.

Dayana Hardy Acuna as Giselle, Oscar Valdes as Albrecht with the dancers of West Australian Ballet in Giselle. Photo © Bradbury Photography

To the long-established choreography, Aurélien Scannella and Sandy Delasalle’s staging has coaxed intensity out of the acting...