Romantic ballet

Romantic ballet flourished in the early to mid-nineteenth century, chiefly at the Paris Opera, with La Sylphide (1832) and Giselle (1841) at its heart. Its heroines were airy supernatural beings, such as sylphs and ghostly maidens, and its look was the long, white, layered Romantic tutu, helped by new gas lighting. Pointe work, in soft shoes without a rigid box, suggested weightlessness.

Giselle premiered on 28 June 1841 at the Salle Le Peletier, with music by Adolphe Adam, choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, and a story drawn from Heinrich Heine's tale of the Wilis. Marie Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Elssler and Lucille Grahn embodied the age. Bournonville's La Sylphide (1836) and Petipa's later Giselle revivals carried the style to Denmark and Russia.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Romantic ballet
• Petipa Society: Giselle
• Wikipedia: August Bournonville

Organisations connected with this dance

• Opéra national de Paris (Paris Opera Ballet)
• The Royal Danish Ballet (Royal Danish Theatre)
• Mariinsky Theatre (Mariinsky Ballet)

Listed as references; being listed is not an endorsement by or of the organisation.

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