Reborn Alberta Ballet performs classic 1832 romantic ballet, La Sylphide, for the first time

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Francesco Ventriglia could never be accused of not living his motto “tradition and innovation.”

The opening show of his first season as artistic director with Alberta Ballet is a textbook case of mixing the new with the old.  La Sylphide dates back to 1832 and is considered a groundbreaking romantic white tutu ballet, notable for many reasons including the fact that it was the first ballet in which a performer danced on pointe shoes. So it certainly isn’t new. But it is new to Alberta Ballet, which has somehow never performed the piece before. The choreography was initially done by Filippo Taglioni in 1832, updated by August Bournonville a few years later and will now include even newer choreography designed by Ventriglia himself.

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Finally, just to emphasize the “new-coat-of-paint” theme, the Alberta Ballet production is not only the first title Ventriglia programmed as artistic director but will also mark the debut of 10 new dancers who were signed this year after international auditions were held in Calgary, Milan, London and New York.

“To blend tradition with innovation, I wanted to start with a great title,” says Ventriglia, who took over the reins of the company in early January. “La Sylphide represents the quintessential, classic romantic, tutu ballet. It’s a masterpiece. It’s a little jewel and there is everything inside: A beautiful story, amazing music, lots of dancing, style. It shows off the talent of our dancers. Because Alberta Ballet has never performed La Sylphide before, I wanted a version that would be very special and good. So I went back into the dramaturgy and adjusted the pantomime, making it even more understandable and recognizable for the public.”

“I didn’t touch the masterpiece moments,” he added. “But I increased, I blossomed some of the parts. I made some contributions, let’s say that.”

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La Sylphide tells the story of a Scottish farmer torn between a fiancee he feels honour-bound to marry and a beautiful spirit that draws him into a supernatural world.

“It’s a passionate love story,” Ventriglia says. “The Greeks used to say in their ancient theatre that when you have love and death, there is a story there. It’s (about) a man who finds himself between two completely different loves. One is his fiancee Effie and the other is the Sylph, which is a supernatural creature. Then there is the evil (sorceress), which is Old Madge whose contributions to the story make it even more dramatic. The finale of this ballet is extremely surprising. It’s unexpected. There are lots of elements.”

The production will have 10 new dancers performing, which has enhanced the company’s international flavour. Ventriglia saw hundreds of dancers audition in New York, London, Milan and Calgary. The new performers hail from Canada, the U.K., the United States, Italy and Australia adding to an international roster that also includes dancers from China, Japan and Mexico.

“We saw so many people,” he says. “I have this picture of a long queue in London and Milano, hundreds of dancers who wanted to be a part of Alberta Ballet. It was amazing. So I selected the best. They all came here and are already working so hard in the studio. So there is at Alberta Ballet, at the moment, an incredible, positive energy reborn. There is this excitement and everyone is so passionate to perform La Sylphide because it has never been done here before.”

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Ventriglia says none of the new dancers have performed La Sylphide before.

“This is a ballet that is not performed enough around the world,” he says. “I don’t know why, but this is another reason I’m incredibly proud to present it here. It is a masterpiece that needs to be protected and shown.”

Ventriglia is no stranger to La Sylphide, having mounted a production in 2013 when he was the artistic director of the Florence Opera House. New sets will be designed by Alberta Ballet executive producer Malgorzata Szablowska, who collaborated with Italian visual designer Italo Grassi. Meanwhile, Alberta Ballet purchased the handmade costumes from the Florence Opera House, which were designed for a 2012 production.

“They have become our assets, our property,” he says. “It’s like a piece of art in the house. They are beautifully made.”

For ballet newbies, this tale of love, sylphs and sorcery is not a daunting proposition. It’s accessible, says Ventriglia.

“It’s love, death, tragedy — it’s a big passionate story,” he says. “There’s nothing to be scared of. It’s really a jewel. The music is gorgeous. It’s not that long. I was saying to friends the other night at dinner that it’s the perfect ballet to give as a present. If you have the birthday of a friend, or an anniversary or a first date, buy a ticket. Give beauty as a present.”

Alberta Ballet’s La Sylphide will be performed from Sept. 12 to 14 at the Southern Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary and from Sept. 20 to 21 at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton. Visit albertaballet.com.

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