English National Ballet, Giselle, London Coliseum

The 19th-century Romantic ballet Giselle is one of the best-loved dance works the world over. Its story of a young peasant girl, Giselle, who dies of a broken heart after being seduced and betrayed by the heartless aristocrat Count Albrecht, who nevertheless finds redemption through the love of her immortal spirit, never fails to tug at the heart strings. And the production, with its lively Act I set in a village populated by jolly peasants, and Act II set in a menacing, moonlit forest, where vengeful female spirits dance unwelcome men to their deaths, has enough drama and variety to keep audiences enthralled.

The ballet is set to Adolphe Adam's tremendously atmospheric score, yet another plus in this most enjoyable work. In Giselle's coming outing it'll be performed live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic.

READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SANGEUN LEE AND GARETH HAW, WHO DANCE THE LEADS IN SOME PERFORMANCES OF GISELLE, HERE

Over the years there have been as many productions of Giselle as creatives who felt tempted to interpret it. English National ballet itself has in its repertoire a recent, iconoclastic reinterpretation of the ballet by the contemporary choreographer Akram Khan, which runs in parallel with the original.

However, ENB's traditional Giselle is possibly the most faithful to the work's 1841 French original. The production is known as Mary Skeaping's Giselle, named after the woman who in 1971 lovingly reconstructed the original for what was then London Festival Ballet (since renamed as English National Ballet).

Although, of course, the two-act plot doesn't deviate significantly from what we've become accustomed to. Mary Skeaping has reintroduced some things and highlighted others, her amendments particularly effective in Act II, where she accentuates the chilling ghostliness of the forest and the ruthlessness of the female spirits, the Wilis.

ENB has a strong corps de ballet, which should come into its own in the white Act II, and an enviable complement of principals and soloists, so whatever cast you catch will surely deliver interpretations to treasure.

Age Guidance: 10+