La Sylphide

Reasons to watch

Enchanting score played by English National Ballet Philharmonic

One of the jewels of Romantic ballet

On the morning of his wedding to his sweet fiancée Effy, James awakens from a dream to see a mysterious and tantalising Sylphide before him. His obsession with her sets off a fateful sequence of events where joy turns to sorrow, love to betrayal and infatuation to tragedy.

August Bournonville’s classic Romantic ballet is devotedly recreated by Eva Kloborg and Frank Andersen in this captivating production, and is accompanied by an enchanting score, played live by English National Ballet Philharmonic.

This performance of La Sylphide was originally recorded at the Manchester Palace Theatre in 2017 for archive purposes and is now available to watch online.

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“Glorious, bonkers fun, full of ceilidh-loving Scotsmen, vengeful witches and spirits.”

“Done well, as it is by ENB, it is a treasure of a ballet, not only for its historical importance but also as a highly effective fairy tale.”

The Arts Desk

“Jurgita Dronina makes for an expressive Sylph, demonstrating the fleet footwork, fluttery fingers and softly-angled upper body carriage that’s characteristic of the Danish Bournonville style.”

The Stage

"An absorbing piece of balletic history.”

The Times

Principal Cast

The Sylph – Jurgita Dronina
James – Isaac Hernández
Effy – Anjuli Hudson
Gurn – Giorgio Garrett
Madge – Jane Haworth

Creative Team

August Bournonville – Original Choreography
Frank Andersen – Production and Staging
Eva Kloborg – Production and Staging
Anne Marie Vessel Schlüter – Production and Staging
Mikael Melbye – Designs
Jørn Melin – Lighting
Herman Severin Løvenskiold – Music

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