Ballet
La Sylphide
La Sylphide is one of the earliest Romantic ballets and helped set the style we still love today. It has a woodland spirit, a young man who chases a dream, and airy dancing on the tips of the toes. It is a lovely window into where classical ballet's magical creatures began.
Fast facts
- Composer
- Herman Løvenskiold (1836 Bournonville version); the 1832 original used music by Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer
- Choreographer
- August Bournonville (1836 version); the original 1832 staging was by Filippo Taglioni
- Premiere
- 1832, Paris Opera, Paris (the surviving 1836 Bournonville version premiered in Copenhagen)
- Structure
- Two acts
- Running time
- About 1 hour 45 minutes with an interval
The story
On his wedding day, a young Scotsman named James becomes enchanted by a sylph, a delicate winged spirit who visits him. Drawn away from his bride, James follows the sylph into the forest. A vengeful witch named Madge gives him a magic scarf, promising it will let him hold the sylph forever. Instead the scarf causes the sylph's wings to fall off and she dies, leaving James alone and heartbroken.
What La Sylphide is famous for
- being an early Romantic ballet
- the airy sylph in white
- dancing on pointe to seem weightless
- the tragic ending
Companies that perform La Sylphide
La Sylphide is in the repertoire of companies including Paris Opera Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sylph?
A sylph is an airy spirit of the forest and sky. In the ballet she is a magical creature with wings who lures James away from his ordinary life.
Why are there two versions?
The original 1832 Paris version is mostly lost, but a later 1836 version choreographed by August Bournonville survives and is the one most companies perform today.
How is it different from Giselle?
Both are Romantic ballets with ghostly or spirit women, but La Sylphide came first and helped inspire the dreamy, otherworldly style that Giselle later made famous.
Who composed La Sylphide?
La Sylphide was composed by Herman Løvenskiold (1836 Bournonville version); the 1832 original used music by Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer.
How long is La Sylphide?
La Sylphide runs about 1 hour 45 minutes with an interval.