Sylvia (Ballet) – An Overview
Sylvia is a three-act ballet inspired by characters from mythology. The ballet is set to music by French composer Léo Delibes and premiered at the Palais Garnier in Paris in 1876. Sylvia’s story is based on a play called Aminta written by Torquato Tasso, an Italian poet. On her debut, Sylvia was not well received and the ballet was performed less and less frequently, as it did not turn out to be popular with the public.
It was the renowned dancer and choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton who resurrected the almost forgotten ballet in 1952. Sylvia has yet to receive critical acclaim, believed to be due in large part to her complicated plot. Sir Frederick tried to give the ballet a more popular appeal by reducing it to a one-act piece, but Sylvia still failed to capture the hearts of the audience and Ashton finally gave up in 1965. However, Sir Frederick believed in Sylvia and had expressed his voice. I wish to rework it once more into a three-act ballet. This was picked up by one of her former students, Christopher Newton, who rewrote Sylvia for the 21st century audience and a three-act version close to Sir Frederick’s vision appeared on stage in 2001.
The main characters in the ballet are Sylvia, a nymph hunter, and Aminta, a young shepherdess who is in love with Sylvia. The other protagonists come from mythology: the god of love Eros and Diana, the goddess of the hunt. The malevolent force within the ballet appears in the guise of Orion, a hunter who also desires Sylvia’s affection. Various forest creatures, nymphs, and dryads provide pastoral images of the ballet, with other supporting characters such as peasants and hunting assistants.
A Sacred Forest is the title of Sylvia’s first act and the ballet begins with a ritual scene with forest creatures and nymphs dancing for the God Eros. Both Aminta and Sylvia stumble upon the scene and, while Aminta remains hidden, Sylvia and her hunting assistants make themselves known and taunt Eros. Sylvia shoots an arrow at the hidden Aminta, unaware that she is her fiery suitor, but wounds both Eros and Aminta with her arrow. The malevolent force in the play is Orion, who is also in love with Sylvia and has been watching the entire scene unfold and uses the resulting confusion as an opportunity to kidnap Sylvia.
The second act is called Orion’s Island Cave and this secret location is where we find Orion and Sylvia kidnapped. Orion tries to appease Sylvia with wine and jewelry, but she does not get carried away and is distressed at the thought of Aminta’s injury. Sylvia cunningly proceeds to get Orion drunk and summons the god Eros to help her. Eros appears to Sylvia with a vision of Aminta recovered and waiting for her to return. Eros and Sylvia then go to the temple of the goddess Diana where Aminta is waiting for Sylvia.
The final act, The Sea Coast near Diana’s temple, sees Sylvia and Aminta briefly reunited, however Orion is quick to catch up with them and begins to fight Aminta. During the fight, Orion tries to enter Diana’s sanctuary, which is forbidden to anger the Goddess and she refuses to allow Aminta and Sylvia to be together. However, all is not lost, as the God of love Eros presents Diana with a vision of her own young love. The memory of this past love makes Diana reverse her decision and allow herself to join Sylvia and Amyntas with the good will of the gods.