You have to laugh at how ballet takes the old Graeco-Roman myths, often hideously violent ones, and re-tells them in the prettiest of ways. Take Diana and Actaeon. The short ballet is a showpiece of romantic fireworks, whereas the myth sees Diana turn Actaeon into a stag and have his own dogs tear him limb from limb.
Sylvia's myth isn't in the same league violence wise but Frederick Ashton's 1952 ballet, reconstructed by Christopher Newton for Ashton's centenary in 2004, still focuses on its decorative rather than its darker potential.
The result is a sunlit upland of a ballet, with gorgeous sets, foxy costumes and pleasingly frolicsome nyads, dryads, sylvans, fauns and peasants.
They pick flowers and make garlands, drink from streams, tend flocks, and generally look lovely. I don't know why dancers look so good in Graeco-Roman drapery but Sylvia's nymphs were a knockout in their gathered dresses and plumed helmets.
The ballet has, for my tuppence, a mildly Carry On tone and is without a shred of psychological depth, added to which the music is tum-te-tum Delibes, and there's a big sag in the middle (the second act really is a flop).
Aspects of the production also look clunkily "reconstructed", and other bits of it rather make you titter (eg arrows that "appear" on their victims who can be seen visibly stabbing themselves with ones they've got from behind the set).
I have to add that many of the dancers don't seem to know much about Frederick Ashton or how to dance his style.
Having said all that, you could watch Sylvia all day and all night with Zenaida Yanowsky in the title role. The tall dancer is gorgeously imperious, proud of her chastity only to succumb to the charms of Aminta. And who wouldn't with David Makhateli in the role. Another tall dancer, he has a pleasing softness to his dancing which is spot on for the lovesick shepherd.
Also good was Deirdre Chapman who put in a fly-by appearance as Diana. Her leopard skin-trimmed costume was very this season.
The Royal Ballet: Sylvia
Royal Opera House
Floral Street, WC2E 9DD
