Choreography August Bournonville
Music Herman Lovenskjold
Producer Matz Skoog
Design Anne Fraser
Lighting Jon Buswell

In a tribute to the founding father of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Poul Gnatt, the company will present two outstanding works by the great Danish choreographer August Bournonville.

Dances from Napoli is a joyous, fun-filled celebration of duets, solos and company divertissement, taken from the third act of the full-length ballet, Napoli. Choreographed in 1842 and set to music by Helsted, this has become one of the signature works in the Danish style. This work also includes the famous Flower Festival of Genzano pas de deux.

La Sylphide is one of the great romantic ballets replete with witches, sylphs and stunningly beautiful sets. Choreographed in 1836 to music by Lovenskjold, it tells the story of a young Scottish farmer James who, on the eve of his wedding, is visited by a beautiful ethereal sylph. The Sylphide lures James to the woods and away from his betrothed, Effie. In anger at having been ejected from James’ home, the evil witch Madge gives him a magical scarf with which to capture the Sylphide. Unbeknownst to James, the scarf is poisoned and the witch set on revenge.

For more infomraiton on La Sylphide visit http://www.nzballet.org.nz/node/296