Artiste: Gianni Quaranta

ABT's Giselle was the kind of glamorous, old-school ABT night of yore. You sensed the entire company leveled up for the occasion. One hopes that Smirnova will return in the future.

It’s only her third performance of role, and her New York debut, but it was so polished that Brandt immediately jumped to our writer's personal short-list of great Giselles.