La Sylphide
The Australian Ballet presents La Sylphide
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In 1832, Marie Taglioni drifted onto the Paris Opera’s stage in La Sylphide – and Romance was born. La Sylphide revolutionised ballet, putting women en pointe and giving audiences their first glimpse of the Romantic ballerina – weightless in a froth of gauze, unattainable and unearthly.
In this poignant two-act work, the Scottish dreamer James is fascinated by a woodland sprite, and jilts his fiancée to follow her into the forest. Intent on capturing the ethereal beauty for his own, he accepts the help of the vengeful witch Madge, who leads him to his downfall.
A quintessentially Romantic work, La Sylphide cements its place in history as one of the world's oldest surviving ballets.
Watch the special on ABC's iview here. Available to watch online until 6 August 2020.
Presented by The Australian Ballet