Mitchell's career boomed during the pre-civil rights era and set the precedent for African Americans in concert dance, specifically classical ballet.
Giselle, a peasant girl, falls in love with her neighbor Loys, the man whom Count Albrecht disguises himself as.
During Giselle's celebration of the end of the grape harvest, Hilarion discovers Loy's real identity.
The Duke of Courland and his daughter, Bathilde, Albrecht's future wife, arrive and are welcomed by the peasants.
The Wilis are the ghosts of young girls who die before their wedding day, and who avenge themselves by making men who come to their graveyard dance themselves to death.
The adaptation by the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) of this traditional version of Giselle is very similar to the original, except for a few changes in the storyline and variations in the choreography.
The narrative, the choreography, and the music by French composer Adolphe Charles Adam are kept the same as the original Giselle.
Albrecht is now Albert and the Wilis are the ghosts of young girls who adore dancing and die of a broken heart.