Ballet Theatre of Maryland Premieres LA SYLPHIDE

Written by Cindy Case

Ballet Theatre of Maryland, the state's premier professional ballet company, kicks off its 2026-2027 season with the company premiere of La Sylphide, October 16-18. This story of love and the supernatural, set in the rugged hills of the Scottish Highlands, has captivated audiences for almost two hundred years.

On the morning of James's wedding, a beautiful sylph—a sort of ethereal forest spirit—hovers beside his chair and confesses her love for him. No one will believe James, but as he prepares for his wedding, the sylph keeps appearing to distract him. James is torn between the natural and supernatural worlds until the sylph plucks his bride's ring from his hand and flies from the house. Without thinking, James chases after her. Will he recover the ring and return it to his mortal bride? Or will he sacrifice his former life to be with the sylph?

Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch says, "What I love most about programming our season is balancing new discoveries with tradition. La Sylphide is one of the oldest surviving Romantic ballets, but members of our Annapolis community may have never seen it before. We are excited for our audience to discover the beauty of La Sylphide, and we hope they’ll fall in love with it just as we have.”

The ballet's history follows an unusual path. Premiering in Paris in 1832, La Sylphide featured the first significant use of pointework onstage. When the famous ballerina Marie Taglioni perched on the tips of her toes, she wasn't just exhibiting a feat of strength. She was creating the illusion that she was a weightless sylph, as light as air. In doing so, she changed the course of ballet history.

The Taglioni production was eventually lost, but that wasn't the end of La Sylphide. Danish dancer and choreographer August Bournonville created his own interpretation with original music by Herman Severin Løvenskiold in 1836. Carefully preserved in the Danish tradition, his production has become the definitive version and is still performed around the world. In addition to its compelling story and dynamic dancing, La Sylphide offers audiences a unique opportunity to see history come to life onstage.

Performances of La Sylphide are part of BTM's mainstage season at Maryland Hall, convenient to downtown Annapolis. Join BTM for this special company premiere on October 16-18, 2026. Single tickets are $62, with discounts available for seniors, military, students, and children. Virtual tickets for La Sylphide are $36 per household. To purchase tickets or learn more, visit balletmaryland.org or call (410) 224-5644.

Photo credits: Joanne Salyer