La Sylphide is one of the oldest surviving ballets in the repertoire and a pivotal work in dance history. It marks the birth of the Romantic era in ballet — the period that introduced the image most people still associate with classical dance: the white-clad ballerina floating on her toes, ethereal and otherworldly. First performed in Paris in 1832, La Sylphide also gave the world the long, flowing Romantic tutu and established the template for dozens of supernatural ballets that followed.
La Sylphide vs. Les Sylphides: What Is the Difference?
These two ballets are frequently confused:
- La Sylphide – A two-act Romantic narrative ballet about a Scotsman in love with a forest spirit. Created in 1832 (Paris) and 1836 (Copenhagen). Has a plot and a tragic ending.
- Les Sylphides – A one-act plotless ballet created by Michel Fokine in 1909 for the Ballets Russes, set to piano pieces by Chopin. Features a group of white-clad sylphides dancing with a single male poet. Has no story, only mood and atmosphere.
Both use the white Romantic tutu; both feature supernatural female figures; both are in the standard repertoire. But they are entirely different works by different choreographers from different centuries.
The Story: La Sylphide
Act I — James and the Sylph
James, a young Scotsman, is betrothed to Effie. On the morning of their wedding he sees a beautiful, otherworldly creature — a Sylph — sitting beside him as he sleeps. She is not human but is captivated by him and kisses him before vanishing. James becomes obsessed with her and cannot focus on Effie or the coming wedding. When the Sylph appears at the window during the celebrations, James follows her into the forest, abandoning Effie entirely.
Act II — The Forest and the Tragedy
In the forest, the Sylph eludes James’s grasp whenever he reaches for her — she is always just beyond his touch. An old witch, Madge (whom James had cruelly driven away at the start of the ballet), appears and offers James an enchanted veil. She tells him that if he wraps it around the Sylph, she will never be able to leave him. James does so — and the Sylph’s wings fall off. Without her wings she cannot survive and dies in his arms. The other sylphs carry her away. In the distance, James sees Effie’s wedding procession to another man. He collapses in despair.
Two Versions of La Sylphide
The Taglioni Version (Paris, 1832)
The original La Sylphide was choreographed by Filippo Taglioni for his daughter Marie Taglioni at the Paris Opéra in 1832. This version is now lost — no notation survived, and the choreography disappeared when Taglioni stopped performing it. Marie Taglioni’s performance defined the Romantic ballet aesthetic: she was the first ballerina to perform an entire role on pointe (using the new technique of dancing on the tips of her toes) and the first to wear the ankle-length white tulle skirt that became the Romantic tutu.
The Bournonville Version (Copenhagen, 1836)
In 1836, Danish choreographer August Bournonville created his own version of La Sylphide for the Royal Danish Ballet, using different music (by Herman Løvenskjold rather than the original by Jean Schneitzhoeffer). This is the version performed today. Bournonville’s choreography is notable for its distinctive style: light, rapid footwork, a buoyant jumping quality (ballon), natural épaulement, and a warm, down-to-earth characterisation of the Scottish villagers alongside the ethereal sylphs. Bournonville technique is considered one of the great national styles in classical ballet.
Musical Highlights
The Bournonville version uses Løvenskjold’s score — a charming, tuneful Romantic-era work in the style of the 1830s. Act I includes a lively Scottish wedding scene with character dances; Act II contains the melancholy forest music accompanying James’s doomed pursuit of the Sylph. The score is lighter and less symphonic than Tchaikovsky’s later ballet scores but perfectly suited to the intimate, bittersweet atmosphere Bournonville sought.
The Romantic Tutu: Born in La Sylphide
The costume now known as the Romantic tutu — a long, white or pastel skirt of layered silk and tulle falling below the knee — was designed for Marie Taglioni’s performance in the original 1832 production. It represented a complete departure from the heavier, more opaque court costumes of 18th-century ballet. The new skirt suggested weightlessness and transparency: the dancer appeared to float rather than move. For more on the different types of ballet tutus and their history, see our guide to types of ballet tutus.
La Sylphide in the RAD Syllabus
La Sylphide is not directly examined in the RAD graded syllabi, but its aesthetic — the white Romantic ballet style, Romantic port de bras, ethereal quality of movement — informs the style training throughout the upper grades and vocational work. The Bournonville style is studied as a separate tradition alongside the RAD method in vocational and historical dance work. Students who have seen La Sylphide will better understand what their teachers mean by “light,” “floating,” and “ethereal” in stylistic corrections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is La Sylphide about?
La Sylphide is a Romantic era ballet about a Scottish man named James who abandons his betrothed to pursue a supernatural forest spirit called a Sylph. He can never fully possess her — every time he reaches for her she escapes. When a witch gives him an enchanted veil that will bind her to him, he wraps it around her and she dies. The ballet ends with James watching his former betrothed marry another man. It is a story about the destructive nature of pursuing an impossible ideal.
What is the difference between La Sylphide and Les Sylphides?
La Sylphide (1832) is a two-act Romantic narrative ballet with a plot, created for Marie Taglioni; the version performed today was choreographed by August Bournonville in 1836. Les Sylphides (1909) is a one-act plotless ballet created by Michel Fokine for the Ballets Russes, set to Chopin piano pieces. Both feature white tutus and supernatural women, but they are entirely different works from different eras.
Who choreographed La Sylphide?
Two choreographers are associated with La Sylphide. The original 1832 Paris version was choreographed by Filippo Taglioni for his daughter Marie Taglioni — this version is now lost. The 1836 Copenhagen version, choreographed by August Bournonville for the Royal Danish Ballet with new music by Herman Løvenskjold, is the version performed worldwide today. Bournonville’s version has been in continuous performance since its premiere.
What is Bournonville technique?
Bournonville technique is the classical ballet style developed by August Bournonville (1805–1879) at the Royal Danish Ballet. It is characterised by light, rapid footwork; a buoyant, effortless jumping quality; natural and expressive use of the upper body (épaulement); and the principle that male and female dancers should be technically equal — Bournonville choreography gives men as much bravura as women. It is one of the three major classical styles alongside the Vaganova (Russian) and Cecchetti (Italian) methods.