La Sylphide

Overview

One of the jewels of Romantic ballet.

With its “enchanting blend of dance and storytelling” (The Independent), it might just steal your heart. Expect ceilidh-loving Scots, ethereal forest spirits and vengeful witches!

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.

 

Gift this rental

“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

Meet the team

Jurgita Dronina

The Sylph

Isaac Hernández

James

Anjuli Hudson

Effy

Jane Haworth

Madge

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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