She brings you homemade chicken noodle soup when you’re sick and sneaks twenties into your wallet even though you’re a twenty-something with a job and stable income. Sound familiar?

Moms are the best, aren’t they? And that’s why, whenever the third week of April rolls around, we get STRESSED! That is, until now, because our friends at The National Ballet of Canada have extended the most generous Mother’s Day offer to Shedoesthecity readers!

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Artists of the Ballet in Giselle. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic, courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada.

Using the promo code SHEDOESTHECITY, our readers can score $99 Grand Ring & Premium Orchestra Seats (that’s a savings of up to 50% off regular price!!!). Offer is valid for June 15-18 performances of Giselle, and expires on May 8th.

After all, what could be more special than treating Mom to one of the most beautiful and critically acclaimed ballets with you by her side? NOTHING! Nailed it.

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Jillian Vanstone and Naoya Ebe in Giselle. Photo by Bruce Zinger, courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada.

We’ll even help you with the talking points, so you can impress Mom with your vast knowledge of Giselle! Here are 9 fun facts about the ballet:

  • Like Romeo and Juliet, Giselle is a tragic tale of two lovers separated by societal pressures and expectations.
  • Giselle premiered in France, at the Paris Opera in 1841 (OMG!) and was one of the FIRST ballets to introduce the female dancer in pointe shoes!!!
  • Giselle’s death is, to this day, shrouded in mystery. Does she die of madness? A broken heart? Or suicide when she thrusts Albrecht’s sword into her heart? We’ll never know for sure as there is no conclusive documentation on the subject.
  • Giselle, the flower, got its name from the ballet, not the other way around.
  • The role of Giselle is considered to be one of the most difficult to perform because of the contrast between the sweet and carefree movements of the first act and the dramatic climax of the second act, which signifies Giselle’s spiral into madness.
  • The National Ballet of Canada has been staging versions of Giselle since the founding of the company in 1951. (Bonus points if you can figure out how many years it’s been without your phone or calculator.)
  • There are 60 costumes used for every performance of Giselle! Try to count them all, we dare you!
  • It was Giselle that inspired Artistic Director Karen Kain to become a ballerina after she saw a performance of the ballet for her 8th birthday.
  • Composer Adolphe Adam completed the sketches for Giselle in 8 days and the FULL SCORE in 3 weeks.
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Artists of the Ballet in Giselle. Photo by Bruce Zinger, courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada.

Have we enticed you? You can learn more about Giselle and/or purchase tickets HERE!