LA SYLPHIDE Two-act Romantic Ballet. Choreography August Bournonville. Music Herman Lovenskjold. Production Elizabeth Triegaardt. Lighting Fahiem Bardien. Presented by Cape Town City Ballet. Maynardville Open-Air Theatre. Sunday’s only at 8.15pm until February 22. SHEILA CHISHOLM reviews.
ADOLPHE Norrit – French operatic tenor, librettist, composer and arts sponsor – used French author Charles Nodier’s 1822 conte fantastique concerning a male elf luring a Highland fisherman’s wife away from her husband as basis for choreographer Filippo Taglioni’s two-act Romantic ballet – La Sylphide. Bearing in mind Taglioni’s ballerina daughter Marie, singled out to dance the lead, Norrit replaced the male elf with a supernatural Sylph and the fisherman’s wife with Highlander James. In this version James, about to marry Effie – loved by Gurn – falls for the Sylph – tragedy results.
Premiered at Paris Opera on March 12, 1832 and set to Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer’s score, not only is La Sylphide noted as the first major Romantic ballet, its historical value rests with it being the first ballet in which a female dancer rose - unaided – onto her “toe-tips.”
Since then people have remained fascinated by this remarkable feat of the feet. Until then, such enthralling visual delights were achieved by dancers lifted onto their toes by mechanisms devised by Swedish born choreographer...Charles Didelot (credited with introducing flesh-coloured tights for female dancers). Also historically important is Taglioni’s La Sylphide introduced the Romantic period style (well rounded arms, forward tilt of the body, gentle movements, but more elaborate leg movements and pointe shoes creating an idea of floating). It also introduced Eugene Lami’s Romantic tutu – white, bare shoulder tight fitting bodice above a diaphanous bell-shaped mid-calf multi-layered muslin skirt – tulle is today’s preferred fabric.
When in 1836 Swedish choreographer and dancer Augustus Bournonville wanted to mount La Sylphide– a la Taglioni – for Royal Danish Ballet, Paris Opera’s fee for Schneitzhoeffer’s music proved so prohibitive Bournonville commissioned Norwegian composer Herman Severin Lovenskiold to write a new score.
With Swedish ballerina Lucille Grahn as the Sylph and Bournonville himself as James, he presented his La Sylphide version for the Royal Danish Ballet in November 1836. This is the version still performed world-wide and the version presented at Maynardville by Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB).
Surrounded by a forest, a starlit sky and rising moon Maynardville is a magical stage setting for a ballet linking unworldly beings with humans. 183 years later Norrit’s libretto remains unchanged. James (Thomas Thorne) is preparing to marry Effie (Jane Fidler). She is loved by Gurn (Ivan Boonzaaier). Unsure of his feelings James dreams about a different life. The Sylph (Laura Bosenberg) manifests these dreams. His arrogant, disdainful encounter with Madge (Mervyn Williams) sets up tragic consequences.
In this production producer Elizabeth Triegaardt surpassed herself. Apart from some unattractive “bunching” when stationary the Highland corps danced reels with enthusiasm. The sylph corps’s patterns were beautifully co-ordinated and their footwork so silent they appeared unearthly. As did Bosenberg. Only once did we hear here land after a grand jeté en avant. Up to that moment as she teased James, ran from him, turned, jumped, performed, tiny twinkling pas de bourree courus, she could have come from another world. In the historic window scene – arms in the famous “elbow to wrist and palm under the chin” position she captured the essence of Romantic style.
Thorne understood La Sylphide’s historic significance. Miming clearly and tossing technicalities off with energetic ease his interpretation presented an unusual and welcome sense of freedom. The relationship between the Sylph and James depends on him never touching her. So it pleased to note a previous fault – where James visually supported the Sylph in an arabesque pose – has been corrected. A master character actor Williams used his eyes and body language to give Madge an awesome sense of evil. Particularly virulent was the smoke billowing cauldron scene when Madge brewed a poisonous scarf for James to trap the Sylph.
Fidler charmed as the bewildered, though somewhat fickle, Effie. And Boonzaaier gave his all to Gurn, amusingly miming “the fairy” he believed he had seen. However, wardrobe must seriously address his costume. Accepted funds are sparse. But it is unacceptable asking him to wear a kilt looking like a mini skirt. Kilt hems should reach the middle of the knee. And his sash shouldn’t be pinned to his kilt in a way that it tugs it up. Thorne’s kilt is also on the short side but, given artistic licence, is just passable. Formal Scottish attire should also include a Skean Dhu (small dagger/knife fitting into the right sock).
With little lights available Fahiem Bardien succeeded creating a lighting plot emulating Scottish Highland light and an ethereal atmosphere for the sylph scene.
l Tickets: R120-R130, 021 421 7695 or at the gate. La Sylphide will also be staged at the Masque from February 5 - 7.