A black-and-white documentary which closely follows the rehearsal process of the famous ballet Giselle, originally choreographed by Adolphe Adam. The focus here is entirely on the process by which ballet master Henning Kronstram conveys the spirit and the endless details of the ballet to his dancers.

Lively scenes of Paris, all narrated by Maurice Chevalier, link together four dramatic ballet choreographies by Roland Petit: La Croqueuse de diamants (The Gold Digger), Cyrano de Bergerac, Deuil en 24 heures (A Merry Mourning), and Carmen.