La Sylphide Ballet’s performance marked an important milestone in the January – June 2019 artistic calendar. This show concretized the cooperation platform with Albanian educational institutions, which prepare the future artists. The show took to the stage 30 students from the ballet school, who embark on their professional career paths outside the classroom.
At the performances of 30, 31 May and 1, 2 June, the NTOB Ballet troupe was joined by 30 young ballet dancers, students of the Ballet School who performed in this ballet.
Because NTOB is the institution open to young artists, professionals of the future and of the promotion of new talents.
In the four performances of the ballet “La Sylphide”, the lead roles are performed by:
Sylphide (Forest spirit) – Ledia Sulaj, Adela Muçollari, Odeta Dishnica
James Ruben (a Scottish farmer) – Fatjon Lito, Anxhelo Muçollari, Kevin Lila, Dion Gjinika
Gurn (James’ friend) – Lurdi Dodgjini, Enred Mjolli, Renato Leshi, Armando Meci
Effi (James’ fiancée) – Erisa Gina, Elda Logo
Old Madge (a village sorceress) – Alisa Gjoni
Effie’s mother, an elderly woman – Matilda Reka
Bridesmaids, wedding guests, witches
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“La Sylphide” – Ballet in two acts
Music: Herman Løvenskiold
Libretto: Adolphe Nourrit
Choreography: August Bournonville
Ballet Maestro: Enada Hoxha
Concert Maestro: Enina Llozi
Set Designer: Zorz Drausnik
Costume Designer: Elva Bella
Cast:
30 May – 19:00 at ArTurbina
Sylphide (Forest spirit) – Ledia Sulaj
James Ruben (a Scottish farmer) – Fatjon Lito
Gurn (James’ friend) – Lurdi Dodgjini
Effi (James’ fiancée) – Erisa Gina
Old Madge (a village sorceress) – Alisa Gjoni
Effie’s mother – Matilda Reka
***
31 May – 19:00 at ArTurbina
Sylphide (Forest spirit) – Adela Muçollari
James Ruben (a Scottish farmer) – Anxhelo Muçollari
Gurn (James’ friend) – Enred Miolli
Effi (James’ fiancée) – Elda Logo
Old Madge (a village sorceress) – Alisa Gjoni
Effie’s mother – Matilda Reka
***
1 June – 19:00 at ArTurbina
Sylphide (Forest spirit) – Ledia Sulaj
James Ruben (a Scottish farmer) – Kevin Lila
Gurn (James’ friend) – Renato Leshi
Effi (James’ fiancée) – Erisa Gina
Old Madge (a village sorceress) – Alisa Gjoni
Effie’s mother – Matilda Reka
***
2 June – 19:00 at ArTurbina
Sylphide (Forest spirit) – Odeta Dishnica
James Ruben (a Scottish farmer) – Dion Gjinika
Gurn (James’ friend) – Armando Meci
Effi (James’ fiancée) – Elda Logo
Old Madge (a village sorceress) – Alisa Gjoni
Effie’s mother – Matilda Reka
Act I
In the hall of a Scottish farmhouse, James Ruben, a young Scotsman, sleeps in a chair by the fireside on his wedding day to his fiancée Effie. A sylph (forest spirit) gazes lovingly upon him and kisses him. James wakes from sleep but the sylph vanishes. Friends, Effie’s mother, Gurn, and Old Madge gather at James and Effie’s wedding party. Madge reads Effie’s palm foreshadowing a happy future, not with her fiancé but with Gurn.
A furious James throws the old witch out of the house. James is left alone and the sylph materializes before him and confesses her love. While he happily dances with the sylph, Gurn who spies the moment from the shadows, scampers off to tell Effie, who finds out the truth about James betrayal. Taken by surprise, he hides Sylphide behind his armchair and covers her with a blanket. When Gurn pulls up the blanket, the beauty was gone. The sylph appears again and attempts to distract James (who is the only one who can see her). The Sylph snatches the ring he is to place on Effie’s finger, places it on her own finger, and rushes into the forest. James hurries after her. A heartbroken Effie falls into her mother’s arms sobbing inconsolably.
Act II
In a fog-shrouded part of the forest, Madge and her companion witches dance grotesquely about a cauldron. Madge reaches into the cauldron and pulls a diaphanous, magic scarf from its depths.
James follows Sylphide through the thicket foolishly in love with her, but she avoids him. Meanwhile, the wedding guests have been searching the woodland for James but they only find his hat. Madge, who was waiting for her chance for revenge, approaches James. She tosses him the magic scarf and tells the young farmer the scarf will turn the sylph into a human being. James is ecstatic and trusts the witch. He puts the scarf around Sylphide’s arms and immediately her wings fall off and she dies in his arms. Meanwhile James hears the sound of Effie’s wedding to Gurn and falls on the ground lifeless and Madge revels in her revenge.
Herman Severin Løvenskiold
He was born in Norway in 1815. In 1829, his family moved to Denmark. Young Herman Lovenskiold was extremely talented and soon became known in music circles, so he began to study music. He composed the music for the ballet “La Sylphide” at the age of 21 and he had tremendous success. In Denmark, “La Sylphide” was very successful and stayed in the repertoire for a long time. In 1838, he went on a tour of Europe under the auspices of the Kingdom, and after visiting Saint Petersburg, he eventually returned to Copenhagen. He has composed a number of successful ballet and other theatrical pieces as well as chamber music for piano, but none of them succeeded La Sylphide. However, one of his latest works, the “Fra Skovenvecd Fureso” concert series composed in 1863, once again proved his talent in music.
August Bournonville
Bournonville was born in Copenhagen, Denmark (1805 – 1879). He was a ballet master and choreographer. He came from a family of dancers and choreographers. He trained with his father Antoine Bournonville as well he studied under the Italian choreographer Vincenzo Galeotti at the Royal Danish Ballet, Copenhagen, and in Paris, France, under French dancer Auguste Vestris. He initiated a unique style in ballet known as the Bournonville School.
Following studies in Paris as a young man, Bournonville became solo dancer at the Royal Ballet in Copenhagen. From 1830 to 1848 he was choreographer for the Royal Danish Ballet, for which he created more than 50 ballets admired for their exuberance, lightness and beauty. He created a style which, although influenced from the Paris ballet, is entirely his own. As a choreographer, he created a number of ballets with varied settings that range from Denmark to Italy, Russia to South America. A limited number of these works have survived.
Since 1950, The Royal Ballet has several times made prolonged tours abroad, not the least to the United States, where they have performed his ballets.
Bournonville’s best-known ballets are La Sylphide (1836), Napoli (1842), Le Conservatoire (1849), The Kermesse in Bruges (1851) and A Folk Tale (1854).