Sylvia

Birmingham Royal Ballet: Céline Gittens as Diana; photo: Bill Cooper

MUSIC Léo Delibes
Designs Sue Blane
Lighting mark jonathan

In 1992 Sir Peter Wright asked me if I would make a new version of Coppélia for his recently formed Birmingham Royal Ballet; I had graduated from the Royal Ballet School dancing Dr Coppélius in his old production and later performed the role a thousand times with Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet.

Perhaps my very familiarity with the piece was the reason that I declined, or perhaps it was my enthusiasm for Delibes’ other ballet, Sylvia, which made me suggest it as an alternative.

The Ashton version at that time was a distant memory, with no ‘exhumation’ planned, and Peter was enthusiastic. The ballet was created for the extraordinary Miyako Yoshida along with Kevin O’Hare as Aminta, the title role still being a technical challenge for female dancers today.

A revised version made for Nao Sakuma and Chi Cao in 2007 improved the storyline and refined some of the choreography which, it being my first ‘classical’ full length ballet, was at times uneven.

Sylvia is also in the repertory of the National Ballet of Japan where it was televised by NBC, and where Miyako is now Artistic Director.