The Danish Royal Ballet is the only troupe in Europe to have preserved 19th century romantic ballet in an unchanged form. The ballet brought a production by its former director August Bournoville of La Sylphide from 1836 to the Hungarian State Opera House.
Although the steps of the production were the same, the romantic atmosphere and spirit, as well as the iconography, were missing. It was as if the performance had become a parody of the style.
The other piece on the programme, George Balanchine's Symphony in C, a neoclassical piece from the 20th century, was performed with unbelievable speed and precision as well as elegance.
This should come as no surprise considering the company's current director, Nikolaj Hübbe, was a star of Balanchine's troupe.
Author: Lívia Fuchs
