Jean Coralli

Jean Coralli (1779–1854) was a French choreographer and dancer who served as chief ballet master at the Paris Opéra from 1831 to 1850. He is best known as co-choreographer, with Jules Perrot, of Giselle (1841) — the quintessential Romantic ballet. Coralli choreographed the group dances and the staging of the work as a whole, while Perrot choreographed the solo variations and pas de deux for Carlotta Grisi, who created the title role. Although the relative contributions of the two choreographers have been a subject of debate, Coralli's name is traditionally cited alongside Perrot's as the work's author. Giselle, with its story of a young peasant girl who dies of a broken heart and returns as a forgiving spirit, remains one of the most performed and beloved ballets in the international repertoire.