Creative Arts Repertoire Ensemble (CARE) Ballet will close its 2025–26 season with a family-friendly, one-hour production of “Giselle,” the beloved 19th-century ballet known for its sweeping romanticism and dramatic storytelling.
First performed in Paris in 1841 with music by composer Adolphe Adam, “Giselle” follows a young peasant girl who falls in love with a nobleman already promised to another. Themes of love, betrayal and forgiveness unfold as Giselle dies of a broken heart and later returns from the spirit world to protect the man she loves. CARE Ballet’s staging draws from the original choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, adapted to suit community audiences while preserving the ballet’s emotional power and technical demands.
Performances will be held Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at 2 p.m., at the East Grand Rapids High School Performing Arts Center, 2211 Lake Drive SE. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, available at careballet.org or at the door beginning one hour before each performance. Audience members are invited to meet the cast for photos and autographs following each show. Parking is free.
Founded in 1992, CARE Ballet is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the growth of classical ballet and providing young dancers with meaningful performance experiences. The organization has introduced more than 70,000 underserved students to ballet through its School Performance Program. CARE Ballet acknowledges support from Dean Transportation.
More information is available at careballet.org.
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