LEADING IRISH ballerina Monica Loughman, and Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre, will bring the ballet La Sylphide to the Town Hall Theatre on Friday April 20 and Saturday 21 at 8pm.
La Sylphide tells the story of a Scottish farmer’s (James ) wedding day who falls in love with a vision of a magical sylph, or spirit. An old witch appears before him, predicting that he will betray his fiancee. Although enchanted by the sylph, he disagrees, sending the witch away.
All seems fine as the wedding begins, but as James begins to put the ring on his fiancee’s finger, the beautiful sylph suddenly appears and snatches it away from him. James abandons his own wedding, running after her. He chases the sylph into the woods and from here his actions will have tragic consequences.
Monica Loughman’s version of La Sylphide, one of the oldest surviving romantic ballets, will feature two of Russia’s most famous ballet dancers - Anton Korsakov and Elena Evseeva - neither of whom has ever performed in Ireland before.
Anton was crowned ‘Honoured Artist of Russia’ in 2010 and ‘dancer of the year’ in 2005, by Dance Europe magazine and has toured extensively worldwide with the Mariinsky Ballet Company. Eleva also dances with Mariinsky Ballet Company.
“It is a great honour to have two dancers of this calibre in La Sylphide and also on the Irish stage for the first time,” says Monica.
Tickets are available from the Town Hall on 091 - 569777 and www.tht.ie
