#TBT: Aurélie Dupont in "La Sylphide" (2004)

November 1, 2017

Updated 4/12/23.

When La Sylphide premiered at the Paris Opéra Ballet in 1832, it was an instant hit, establishing the romantic aesthetic and ushering in a golden age of French ballet. La Sylphide‘s legacy is part of the fabric of the Paris Opéra Ballet—as is Aurélie Dupont, the company’s artistic director from 2016-2022 and former étoile of 17 years. As the Sylph in Pierre Lacotte’s version of the ballet, based on Filippo Taglioni’s 1830s original, Dupont breathes fresh life into the traditional romantic style.

In this variation, Dupont dances with inward focus, creating an intimate scene of the Sylph alone in the forest. The long tutu highlights her precise footwork; each point of her foot is a supple articulation, harkening to the romantic era when pointe shoes were little more than ballet slippers with a bit of darning. She invokes an ethereal character without looking fragile. Instead, she floats through each movement with gentle, sustained energy. Even during her bow, Dupont embodies the sophistication and purity that make this art form timeless. Happy #ThrowbackThursday!