Houston Ballet’s Augustin Lehner Finds Magic in Giselle

After a long day of rehearsals, Slovakian-born Augustin Lehner, a corps de ballet dancer for the Houston Ballet, grabs his bag and returns home to Montrose. He’s been immersed in the world of Giselle, a ballet known for its psychological depth. At home, he finds a mirror where he continues to practice—not the ballet movements he will execute with precision on the Wortham Theater Center stage, but the facial expressions inspired by various emotional moments throughout the performance. The meticulous and passionate work the dancer puts in behind the scenes all comes together this month when he and his fellow company members close their invigorating 2025–2026 season.

A cornerstone of 19th-century Romanticism, Giselle tells the heart-wrenching story of a peasant girl tragically betrayed by an aristocrat posing as a commoner. Lehner shares his excitement to perform in Stanton Welch AM’s reimagined version of one of ballet’s most revered works.  “Giselle is one of those classic ballets that I knew about even before I got into the dance world,” the 25-year-old says. “It’s been really fun for our company to get to put our own imprint onto such a legacy work.”

Despite beloved memories of dancing around the house with his grandma as a child, Lehner, who has also lived in Washington state and South Carolina, didn’t begin his professional ballet journey until he was in his teens. “There was definitely a bit of catch-up I had to play,” he recalls. “I’ve always known that I wanted to do something within the arts, and I naturally gravitated toward this world. At 15, I decided to give ballet a try and ended up falling in love with it. The passion was there, and where there’s a will, there really is a way.”

Lehner would eventually take part in Houston Ballet’s summer intensive at age 17, and the rest is history. He encourages others to pursue a later-in-life hobby or career—but with realistic expectations. “There’s going to be a learning curve and little bumps along the way, especially within the arts. If you find yourself feeling behind, not good enough, or comparing yourself to others who are more advanced, it’s at those times you need to take your ego out of it and remind yourself why you’re pushing so hard, day in and day out.”

Keeping his eyes on the prize is what kept Lehner pushing himself forward. “Sometimes you have to put in that little extra effort, or stay in the studio a little later, and do your own homework,” he emphasizes.

In addition to his work as a dancer, Lehner is personally passionate about advocating for the LGBTQ community, specifically regarding body image. “We constantly see online or in the media the ‘ideal image’ of what you’re supposed to look like, or what you’re supposed to strive for. I feel like the pressure gets even more intense working within an aesthetic art like ballet, where your body is your instrument,” he shares. “I often spend all day looking at myself in the mirror, and I nitpick everything. In ballet, you need to see yourself and make corrections. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that this is just how my body is naturally built.”

Lehner finds peace in knowing that no matter how many fitness classes he takes or methods of healthy living he embraces, his body is uniquely his. “It’s more important to keep yourself accountable and healthy based on what is right for you and your body type, versus constantly setting goals to become the impossible version of what is expected of you.”

This month, Lehner steps into his final ballet of the season, which feels almost fateful for the dancer’s professional trajectory. “As an admirer of the art form, I really find myself emotionally connected and wrapped up within the story of Giselle,” he says. “It feels like it has a special aura around it, and it exists in its own world. It is the epitome of a big classical ballet.”

The production is also an opportunity to share his all-time favorite ballet with Houston audiences. “The most compelling thing, in my opinion, is the emotional range that the show explores. In the beginning, we’re in a very happy state. Then we transition to the extremes of betrayal, heartbreak, and death,” he says. “Finally, we end at a place of solace and acceptance.”

To those unfamiliar with the ballet, Lehner is adamant that Giselle is not to be missed. “It’s one of those shows that will take you on a journey and move you, if you allow yourself to be transported into that world. That’s one of the most magical aspects of live art—being transported into this world that’s being created right in front of you.”

What: Houston Ballet’s production of Giselle
When: June 11–21, 2026; there will be a special Out at the Ballet reception before the performance on Friday, June 19
Where: Wortham Theater Center
Info: houstonballet.org/seasontickets/2025-2026-season/giselle