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Natasha Rogai

Czech National Ballet made its Hong Kong Arts Festival debut with La Sylphide – the earliest and best conserved complete ballet still to feature in the international repertoire.
Staged for the company last year by Danish ballet superstar Johan Kobborg, this was a pleasingly authentic production which featured much good dancing and some lively acting.
It was a real pity there was no live music – always a problem for ballet. This was compounded by poor quality sound which failed to do justice to Herman von Lovenskiold’s delightful score.
It also seems a pity to have brought Czech National Ballet, a historic company with good dancers and a rich and varied repertoire, all the way from Prague to perform a single ballet which, enchanting though it is, is only one hour long.
The version of La Sylphide created by August Bournonville for the Royal Danish Ballet in 1836 has been handed down through the generations with loving care. A uniquely preserved example of ballet’s first golden age – the Romantic era – its exquisite choreography and vivid storytelling have continued to charm audiences for nearly 200 years.
The plot, with its supernatural elements, is typical of the Romantic era. The setting is a village in Scotland – and yes, the men do indeed dance in kilts.

On the day of his wedding to Effie, James falls under the spell of the Sylphide, a wild, magical creature who entices him into abandoning his fiancée and the human world for the freedom of the forest. However, James becomes frustrated with his capricious new love’s carefree ways and wants her to belong to him.
When the village witch, Madge, offers help, he foolishly accepts, sealing a tragic fate for both the Sylphide and himself as Madge takes her revenge for his previous abuse of her.
Appreciating Bournonville may require some adjustment from audiences whose expectations of classical ballet are based on Marius Petipa’s works from the latter half of the 19th century, like Swan Lake or The Sleeping Beauty.
The hallmarks of Bournonville’s choreography include the emphasis on ballon – extreme lightness of feet and jumps; jumps which are vertical as opposed to leaps which cross the stage; and batterie or beats – jumps where the legs are beaten rapidly together.

A major difference from Petipa and the 20th century choreographers is that male and female partners dance side by side on equal terms – there are no big lifts or supported pirouettes.
Another key aspect is the importance of acting and the extensive use of detailed mime for narrative, nowadays largely omitted from most productions of 19th century ballets.
Adapting to these elements is a challenge for dancers whose classical training is based on the Petipa repertoire. Kobborg has staged La Sylphide for companies like the UK’s Royal Ballet and Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet, and his understanding of the Bournonville style and the Royal Danish Ballet heritage are second to none.
The depth of his knowledge and the excellence of his coaching was clearly apparent in the Czech troupe’s performance.
The whole cast produced consistently fast, crisp footwork and well-executed mime, with the female corps de ballet showing their mastery of dancing in character shoes as the village girls in the Scottish dances of Act 1 before going on pointe in Act 2 as the ethereal Sylphides.

In the title role, Alina Nanu neatly captured the Sylphide’s childlike nature and sudden changes of mood and danced with assurance, precision and lightness – her arms were particularly lovely.
Paul Irmatov was a dashing, hot-headed James with bounding jumps and dazzling beats and Giovanni Rotolo a ferocious, frightening Madge. It was good to see the role danced by a man, which is the original tradition. Matej Sust brought appealing humour to the role of Gurn, James’ rival who ultimately wins Effie’s hand.
Czech National Ballet: La Sylphide, 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival, Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Reviewed: March 6.


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Hong Kong Arts Festival programme was performed beautifully by the Czech National Ballet. It’s just a pity there was no live music


Hong Kong Arts Festival programme was performed beautifully by the Czech National Ballet. It’s just a pity there was no live music.


Hong Kong Arts Festival

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hong Kong Arts Festival programme was performed beautifully by the Czech National Ballet. It’s just a pity there was no live music

Hong Kong Arts Festival programme was performed beautifully by the Czech National Ballet. It’s just a pity there was no live music