La Sylphide

Ballet lovers are in for a treat with Queensland Ballet’s magnificently grand La Sylphide. It’s the first time Peter Schaufuss’s award-winning production has been staged in Australia and Queensland Ballet, augmented by guest artists, do him proud.

One of the oldest romantic ballets, La Sylphide’s story of young Scotsman, James, who abandons his bride-to-be Effie for an elusive and incandescent sylph, has enthralled the world for almost 180 years. Birmingham Royal Ballet member and London’s Observer and Guardian’s 2015 “Rising Star of Dance”, Luke Schaufuss, making his local debut, shone like a beacon over the production. A third generation of the Schaufuss dance dynasty, and son of choreographer Peter Schaufuss, his James was the perfect romantic lover, displaying boyish-innocence and charm and dancing with spectacular strength especially in his solo work. Sarah Thompson’s Sylph was coquettish and playfully light, and shimmered like gossamer en pointe. As lovers they were exquisite with the denouement scarf-scene a hauntingly tragic moment.

Vito Bernasconi’s Gurn had virility and humour, Mia Heathcote’s Emmie was captivating, whilst Clare Morehan’s mother was sympathetic. Greg Horsman’s guest appearance as the witch Madge brought nuance and flamboyant flair to the old crone and at times was genuinely funny.

Contributing to the success of the production was (the late) David Walker’s brilliant set and costume design; baronial majesty in the first act’s manor house and ethereal forest glade in the second, and with the corps de ballet in kilts and knee-length tutus sporting every tartan clan from the Scottish Highlands, you could almost smell the heather. Steen Bjarke’s lighting plot added immensely to the mood, while the dynamic range of Levenskjold’s score was strikingly realised by the orchestra under Andrew Mogrelia’s assured baton.

In August, the entire productionis due to tour to the UK and perform in London’s Coliseum Theatre. Queensland Ballet could not have a better flagship.

Peter Pinne

Images: La Sylphide - Company Dancer Sarah Thompson & Principal Dancers Hao Bin and Clare Morehen. Photos by David Kelly.