Alberta Ballet opens new season with historical show that premiered pointe

Alberta Ballet opens its new season Thursday with La Sylphide, a ballet that is important historically to the art form and also a big moment for new artistic director Francesco Ventriglia.

This is the beginning of his first full season with Alberta Ballet, as he started with the company in January.

His vision is to blend tradition with innovation, so he says he is starting with tradition.

La Sylphide is a romantic ballet first performed in 1832; it’s actually the first ballet where dancing on pointe became more than just a stunt.

“There was this romantic idea to have women on stage weightless so they could fly around, they could be ethereal and untouchable and beautiful, it represents very much the romantic era of the tutu and the pointe shoes,” Ventriglia said. “It is very important for the company and for our artists to perform a ballet like that because it gives them a strong root.”

But, he says they are not dancing exactly what audiences would have seen in 1832 for a few reasons.

Firstly, technique is vastly different than it was in the 1800s, and so is society.

“The role of women have changed dramatically in society, today women are part of the conversation,” Ventriglia said. “So women today understand themselves and are understood, so it is beautiful to see how a strong woman of 2024 can empower a role like that and make it relevant and accessible today.”

La Sylphide is about an air spirit who falls in love with a human man, and consequently causes the breakdown of his engagement.

“This ballet is a gem, it is a diamond in the history of ballet,” remarked the artistic director.

The show runs at the Southern Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary from Sept. 12-14 and in Edmonton from Sept. 20-24.

Tickets are available at albertaballet.com