“… La Sylphide choreographed by August Bournoville is one of the most famous ballets of the Romantic era. Johan Kobborg‘s production is steeped in the greatest traditions of the Bournonville style and training of which he himself is an expert exponent.” - Monica Mason
Marie Taglioni, La Sylphide, Alfred Edward Chalon (RA), Richard James Lane (A.R.A). lithograph, coloured by hand – Victoria and Albert Museum, London
By Juliana Araújo
The Royal Ballet of London has included one more gem in its repertory this season: La Sylphide. As part of May/June’s double bill, this ballet was performed along with George Balanchine‘s Ballo della Regina, with Alina Cojocaru and Steven McRae at the opening night.
The ballet which was originally choreographed by Filippo Taglioni, the father of Marie Taglioni, had its debut at Paris Opera in 1832. However, in 1836, August Bournonville recreated the ballet for the Royal Danish Ballet, with additional changes including emphasis on the footwork and uninterrupted allegro sequences — arms in bras bas letting the legs do all the work – which have become the Danish ballet’s hallmark. Read more here
