'Sylvia' at the Royal Ballet

Greek mythology has always been my thing. I had a ‘myths and legends’ book that my mum used to read to me when she would put me to sleep and I loved every story. I was also very gothic as a child, so a story about a man who flew too close to the sun and burnt to death because of it really floated my boat. I can confirm I had a wondrous and happy childhood despite my gothic imagination. ‘Sylvia’ may not be a gothic tale, but it has all of the beautiful qualities of old mythology, from dancing creatures and bizarre goats, to powerful gods. It’s a bit of a thin story but it’s entertaining none the less and, as we are in Frederick Ashton territory, the choreography is extremely complex and difficult. Opening night took place on Thanksgiving. Well, I’m thankful for this revival. The Royal Ballet hasn’t performed Sylvia for years but from the first note of the overture, it all came rushing back to me. I love this overture and I love the whole score. Delibes makes such atmospheric ballet music and it’s a joy to hear this again.

The story is easy to follow. Aminta, a lowly shepherd, is in love with Sylvia, a powerful huntress who protects Diana, the goddess of the hunt. Sylvia and her girl gang return from a successful hunt and indulge in some much needed girl time and celebration. This is interrupted when they find Aminta spying on Sylvia, who really gets her fierce on. Just as she’s about to kill him, she decides it would be funnier to shoot the statue of Eros but Aminta takes the arrow for him, so his heart is pierced instead. Eros comes to life and shoots Sylvia in the heart which causes her to regret her actions. Sylvia then realises she loves Aminta but is captured by the evil Orion, who lusts after her. As with all good love stories, after some bumps in the road she is reunited with Aminta and they are married, having been given the blessing of an initially furious Diana (wonderfully played by Itziar Mendizabal). It’s a story that may not win a Man Booker prize but there’s enough there to make a ballet out of it. I’ve read a few comments that some audience members think the story of this ballet is ridiculous and poor. So it’s not Shakespeare, but mythical tales are often very simple as they need to explain a moral. They’re allegorical and spoke to the masses so that everyone could understand their meaning. Here we have a huntress who mocks one of the Gods and must suffer before she can be reunited with her love. She must also learn to love which she hasn’t done before. It’s not complicated but it does require the ballerina to make a stark contrast in Act One between fierce huntress and love struck woman. When the arrow hits her heart, it’s as if she becomes a woman and her bourrees across the stage as she tentatively approaches a dying Aminta should display her reluctance and the confusion she’s experiencing. After all, this is a woman falling in love for the first time. Anyone who calls this story ridiculous but returns to watch ballets about a woman trapped in a swan body, a woman sleeping for a hundred years or a ghost gang of male haters might want to think about Sylvia’s narrative a bit more. I agree that the story doesn’t involve too much complexity but we’ve all got a dysfunctional story to tell and this just happens to be Sylvia’s.

I agree that the story is a bit thin, but this ballet is not fluff. Ashton’s choreography is particularly tricky for the female dancers, and whoever dances Sylvia must tackle some difficult footwork throughout the ballet. As much as I love the music, I also think it must be quite difficult to dance to as it’s fast in places and without obvious breaks. Sylvia’s solo in her wedding pas de deux, for example, showcases some very difficult balances and quick footwork against a familiar albeit fast score. I can feel myself cringe a bit as the music and dancing becomes faster, as this has the potential to go wrong or look extremely messy. Thank heavens then for Marianela Nunez who danced the role of Sylvia on opening night. Perfectly built for a classical role, she danced with ease and vitality during this section. In fact, she was lovely throughout the entire ballet. I would say she was slightly timid in her entrance in Act One, and could have possibly shown more strength and assertion in the steps, but she warmed up well. Some aren’t fans of how smiley she is but why can’t a strong female warrior have a laugh with her girlfriends? I understand that Sylvia is meant to be a fierce hunter but does a portrayal of such power limit a dancer to a frown and stern expression? Maybe, but I like the way Nela smiles at all of her companions. I mean having shot down that huge beast, I’m guessing you’d all be pretty chuffed with each other. She’s like the female boss you want - strong willed but with an encouraging smile.

Delight is personified in the form of Vadim Muntagirov. He’s such a treat to watch and his debut as Aminta was close to perfect. I’m always amazed at the height of his jumps considering he’s such a tall dancer and how he dances with so much energy. Tall dancers can be in danger of being too clumpy but Vadim glides across the stage with grace and purity, light as a feather is he. It’s also impressive that he adds character to the classical roles which don’t require too much acting or Macmillan-style depth. I’m really enjoying watching him in Ashton. He seems to have so much fun dancing Ashton choreography which is always a joy to watch as an audience member. He’s also well suited to Nunez in the classical roles and again they tenderly look at each other and seem to really enjoy dancing together. I would like to see him shared a bit more maybe with a younger dancer and the same goes for Nunez - but if ever there was an established classical partnership then it’s between Nunez and Vadim.

My boyfriend has a theory that the best movies all contain a Christmas scene. I’ve come to the conclusion that the best ballets always involve dancing peasants. A note to all choreographers - from now on, I will judge ballets on whether a group of unnecessary peasants come dancing onto the stage. Sylvia has wide eyed smiling peasants on stage so it must be good. It also has other strange cameos, possibly included by Ashton as homage to early classical ballet – I’m looking at you Sleeping Beauty – and the dancing goats in the wedding scene seem to be receiving the greatest hype. The goat duo I’m sure must cause a stir with the audience and probably divides the ballet nation into those for the bizarre looking creatures and those against. I’m of the ‘meh’ opinion- happy to watch them but also partial to them being removed from the ballet. I have to say though that James Hay and Elizabeth Harrod were super as the goat couple. What impressed me was how in time they were with the music and with each other. It’s not easy but they made it look like it was and so, down to them alone, I am warming to the goats more and more.

Sylvia is still a gem as far as I’m concerned. It’s not one I can watch over and over again, but I have a real soft spot for it. I think this is mainly due to it being one of the ballets I watched when I was growing up so to revisit it as an adult has been pretty joyous. If vine leaf crotch cover ups, baby Bacchus statues and gold curled wigs aren’t your thing, then I suggest you get out more.