Sylvia

The Australian Ballet premiered their latest co-production with the Houston Ballet, Sylvia. Choreographed by Australian Ballet alumnus Stanton Welch and featuring music by Leo Delibes, Sylvia is possibly the most convoluted narrative ballet ever performed. The story is so complex that there is even a cheat sheet handed to you before you enter the theatre, to enable the audience to understand the multiple threads, locations and love interests. As patrons exited after the first act, the theatre was abuzz with people asking, “what’s going on?”  Sylvia, you see, is not about one heroine but three – Artemis, Sylvia and Psyche – and the character of Sylvia does not feature heavily in the first act.

None of this really matters however because the ballet itself is whimsical and really enchanting. What’s more, it’s an opportunity to see multiple principal’s featured across the three acts.   Act I opens with Robyn Hendricks as Artemis and Adam Bull as Orion fighting battles to impress the other Olympic Gods. Both Hendricks and Bull are foot perfect in their performances and entrancing to watch. Jerome Kaplan’s costume and set design couple with Wendall K Harrington’s wonderful projections transport the audience to ancient Olympus where the arrows fly from silver bows. A pas de deux from Bull and Hendricks is passionate and full of vitality, elucidating the characters and their motivations. As an audience we can relate to this fabulous heroine so beautifully portrayed. 

Senior Artist Marcus Morelli plays Eros and it is this character who weaves together all three storylines. Morelli is exceptional, out-dancing Bull and Jackson. No easy feat considering how skilled and talented the two Principals are. However Morelli attacks ever step with such ease as he seemingly hovers above the ground with every staggering leap. Surely Morelli must be next in line for promotion to Principal, his performance is simply breathtaking.

After being humiliated by Artemis and Orion, Eros leaves Olympus and encounters Psyche, impeccably danced by Benedicte Bemet. It’s not surprising that Eros falls in love with this beautiful mortal, Bemet dancers her with lashings of whimsy and an unabashed love for life.  Psyche’s Fauns, Yichuan Wang, Cameron Holmes, Shaun Andrews and Drew Hedditch provide the audiences with laughs and some congruity as we move between the worlds of mortals, and those of the gods above and below. 

When we eventually meet Sylvia, the named heroin of the piece, the audience may well be utterly by this convoluted tale. Eros casts a spell on Sylvia, danced by Ako Kondo and she falls in love with the first person she sees – a shepherd danced by Kevin Jackson.  Like Hendricks and Bull, Kondo and Jackson are exceptional. These long-standing Principal’s never fail to prove they are worthy of their position in the company. 

The story continues across two more acts, where locations change rapidly, and love is found, lost and found again. Sylvia gives up being a god and we see her life with the Shepherd play out as they become parents and grandparents. Psyche and Eros wed, and Psyche is made a demi-god so she may live forever with her new husband. Artemis is reunited with Orion and they dance together forever in the stars.  Even with a story this ridiculously complex, Sylvia is a wonderful (if at times non-sensical) evening of ballet full of beauty and whimsy that is sure to entertain.

L.B.Bermingham

Photographer: Jeff Busby