The Paris Ópera Ballet y China Central Ballet- Ensamble
by cns photo

Rita Sangalli, poster 1876

Gillian Murhy Maxim Beloserkovsky American Ballet Theare2005
by Marty Sohl

Sylvia (originalmente La Nymphe de Diane) (1876)
Coreografía: Louis Mérante
Música: Léo Delibes

Sylvia is a typical classical ballet in many respects, yet it has many interesting features which make it unique. Sylvia is notable for its mythological Arcadian setting, creative choreographies , expansive sets, great influence on the arts and, above all, its remarkable score .

The ballet's origins are in Tasso 's 1573 poem " Aminta ," which describes the basic plot of Delibes' work. Jules Barbier and Baron de Reinach [1] adapted this for the Paris Opera [2] [3] . The piano arrangement was composed in 1876 and the orchestral suite was done in 1880 [4] .

When Sylvia premiered on June 14 , 1876 at the Palais Garnier , it went largely unnoticed. In fact, the first seven productions of Sylvia were not successful. It was the 1952 revival, choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton , that popularized the ballet. Ashton's success set the stage for the 1997, 2004 and 2005 productions, all of which were based on his 1952 choreography.

Paloma Herrera American Ballet Theatre 2005
by Gene Schiavone