Smoke rose from the chimney of Giselle’s cottage in a rural village as the curtain went up. The opening scene revived a stage detail that had appeared in the Korean National Ballet’s 2011 premiere of the French choreographer Patrice Bart’s (1945-2025) version of “Giselle,” but had since been dropped. Other subtle changes were evident in the latest production — the company’s first regular performance since Kim Joo-won, a former principal with the company, became its director and artistic director in August. Even the poster, which had previously featured full-length portraits of Giselle, was replaced with a composition emphasizing her upper body. Both onstage and off, the production suggested an effort to revisit the familiar repertoire from a fresh perspective. One of the most notable aspects of “Giselle,” staged at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater from Oct. 13 to last Sunday, was the bold decision to cast dancers in roles they had never performed before. Of the 11 dancers who took on the roles of Giselle and Albrecht across seven performances, six were making t