ARB Dancer Clara Pevel, photo by Harald Schrader Photography

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- American Repertory Ballet (ARB) opens its 2025/26 season at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) with the return of Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg's acclaimed adaptation of the classic ballet Giselle. Presented Friday, October 10 through Sunday, October 12, 2025, Giselle tells the story of a young woman who dies of a broken heart—only to confront, and eventually forgive, her beloved from beyond the grave.

Originally choreographed in 2012 for the Royal New Zealand Ballet under Stiefel's artistic leadership, Giselle was initially restaged and partially redesigned specifically for ARB at NBPAC in 2022 by the award-winning team of Howard Jones (Scenic Designer), Natalia Stewart (Costume Designer), and Joseph R. Walls (Lighting Designer). Giselle is celebrated as being “[s]uperbly coached, curated, and danced,” says The Ballet Herald’s Nadia Vostrikov. “ARB’s Giselle is everything the original had and more.”

“Giselle is such a challenging role, and I'm discovering new layers of her character with each rehearsal,” says ARB Company Dancer Clara Pevel, who is set to make her debut in the title role. “The process has been incredibly fulfilling and eye-opening. I feel so privileged to learn under the guidance of the incomparable Gillian Murphy. I’m really looking forward to bringing this role to life and to sharing Giselle’s story on stage.”

“I had the honor of being coached by several of the world’s greatest interpreters of Giselle and Albrecht when I first danced the title role in this beautifully distilled adaptation by Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg,” says Murphy, ARB’s Artistic Associate. “It is truly a full circle moment and incredibly fulfilling to now be entirely focused on guiding the next generation of dancers as they embody these iconic roles.”

Stiefel and Kobborg’s Giselle has captivated audiences worldwide with its imaginative and masterful reimagining of the historic ballet. Act I features revitalized ensemble choreography, expanded dancing for the role of Hilarion, and a dynamic Wedding Couple that propel the story forward with energy and momentum. In the iconic Act II, Giselle joins the spirits of women—known as the Wilis—who, like her, died after being betrayed by their lovers. However, in this version, the Wilis are portrayed not just as ethereal, but as possessing a distinct, compelling strength. In addition, the character Albrecht, Giselle’s beloved, is presented with a lifelong sense of remorse, diverging from traditional interpretations.

"Johan and I created a production that strikes an elegant balance of shedding new light on the classic, yet maintaining what has made Giselle so special for so long,” says Stiefel, ARB’s Artist in Residence.

Featuring emotionally powerful and technically stunning performances, this moving production will no doubt get audiences in the Halloween spirit via this haunting tale of love, betrayal, and the supernatural.

Performances take place Friday, October 10 at 7:00pm*; Saturday, October 11 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm; and Sunday, October 12 at 2:00pm**. Tickets for Giselle range from $42 to $72 (plus fees) and are available for purchase online. *Post-Show Reception ($50 add-on to ticket purchase) with ARB Dancers, artistic leadership, and VIPs immediately following the performance. Light bites and beverages will be served. **Come to the performance dressed in costume for a festive Halloween season kickoff! Tall/wide hats, light up accessories, and weapons will not be permitted.

The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center is located at 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. The venue can be reached by car or New Jersey Transit and has ample parking in its attached parking deck.

Ethan Stiefel is an internationally recognized artist, educator, and leader in the performing arts.. After serving as American Repertory Ballet’s Artistic Director for over three years, he is currently Artist in Residence. In 1989, Stiefel began his professional dance career at age 16 with the New York City Ballet where he quickly rose to the rank of Principal Dancer. Stiefel was also a Principal Dancer with Ballett Zürich followed by being a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT) from 1997-2012. Stiefel has served as Dean of the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) as well as the Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. During his celebrated performing career, Stiefel danced leading roles in all the full-length classics and performed in an extensive range of shorter classical, contemporary, and modern works. Guest appearances include dancing with The Royal Ballet, The Mariinsky Ballet, New York City Ballet, Teatro Colón, The Australian Ballet and many others. He has appeared in numerous film, video and television productions including the feature film Center Stage and the documentary Born to be Wild. As a choreographer, he has created new works for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Washington Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, ABT Studio Company, Northern Ballet (UK), The Royal Ballet School, UNCSA, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the television series Flesh and Bone on the STARZ network. Stiefel has received a number of prestigious awards such as the Statue Award of the Princess Grace Foundation and the Dance Magazine Award.

Johan Kobborg is a choreographer and former Principal Dancer of the Royal Danish Ballet and The Royal Ballet London, and he is the Former Artistic Director of the Ballet Opera National Bucharest. Kobborg has performed with some of the leading companies in the world, such as the Mariinsky, the Bolshoi, American Ballet Theatre, and the National Ballet of Canada. As a choreographer, he has created works for companies such as the Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, San Francisco Ballet, The Sarasota Ballet, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Guided by Interim Artistic Director Samantha Dunster, with Artist in Residence Ethan Stiefel and Artistic Associate Gillian Murphy, American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is recognized as one of the state’s premier performing arts organizations, with a distinctive reputation for innovation and individuality. Presenting classical repertory alongside new and existing contemporary work, ARB is a founding resident company of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center while also performing in major venues across New Jersey and beyond for an annual audience of more than 30,000. Founded in 1954 as the Princeton Ballet Society, ARB has been consistently designated a “Major Arts Institution'' by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for the past two decades and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council. The company has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and other major foundations and leaders in the field as a prominent force in the field of dance. Princeton Ballet School, ARB’s official school, attracts talent from around the world while providing opportunities for local students of all ages, such as through its award winning DANCE POWER program.