TIRANA, March 26 – La Sylphide, a romantic ballet in two acts, is making its comeback to Tirana this weekend after a performance in Kosovo last December with choreography by Ilir Kerni, the director of the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet.
Considered one of the first romantic ballet, La Sylphide which is most familiar with the version originally choreographed by Denmark’s August Bournonville, is scheduled to show at the National Theatre for four nights.
With choreography by Ilir Kerni, who performed in this ballet eight years ago, and Italy’s Stefano Ligoratti as a conductor, the ballet brings a specially designed stage and costumes, beautiful music and a plot about love and betrayal.
‘La Sylphide’, which first appeared in the 1830s, was the world’s first Romantic ballet. The story of James, a young Scottish farmer enchanted by a sylph, or tree fairy, on the eve of his wedding, combines reality and fantasy.
The ballet is scheduled to show on March 27 and 28 and April 1 and 3 at 19.00.
The ballet was first performed in Prishtina last December as part of an Albania-Kosovo cultural exchange programme with choreography by Ilir Kerni.
Ilir Kerni, 59, a professional ballet dancer who spent most of his career as a soloist in Croatia, was appointed the director of the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in October 2013, replacing maestro Zhani Ciko.
