ABT: Ashton's Sylvia showcases the entire company

Margot Fonteyn’s longevity was both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that she formed a legendary partnership with Rudolf Nureyev in the latter portion of her career. The curse is that most of the videos we have of her are in that later period, when she suffered from repeated injuries and became more known for her charm and chemistry with Nureyev rather than her technical ability.

This is why it is important that ballets like Sir Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia stay in the repertory. Created in 1952 and premiered with American Ballet Theatre in 2005, it was meant to showcase Fonteyn’s abilities as a dancer. And what a showcase! One look at the opening solo for Sylvia, and you realize what an incredible technician Fonteyn must have been in her prime. The Amazonian first act (Sylvia enters with a bow and arrow) and seductive second act (where she slinks with a bare mid-riff around to lull Orion to sleep) also belies Fonteyn’s lady-like reputation.

The entrance solo has become infamous for its difficulty. Sylvia starts her solo with fast piqué turns downstage that end with a grand jeté. There are repeated hops backward on pointe that stretch into an arabesque balance, a sequence of pirouettes en dedans and so much petit allegro footwork, a surprise as Fonteyn was often criticized for her lack of articulation in footwork (Ashton called Fonteyn’s feet “sticks of butter”). In the famous pizzicato solo, there is a diagonal of gargouillades and more direction-changing hops on pointe. My feet and ankles hurt just watching.

The choreography for Aminta, the shepherd, is also challenging. It requires rock-steady partnering (the backwards jump into fish dives in the grand pas de deux need perfect timing) and huge upper body strength – Sylvia enters the grand pas de deux in a torch carry lift. All these technical demands make Sylvia hard to mount, even today.

It is a wondrous ballet. Ashton’s choreography has a perfect mix of his trademark humor and romanticism with extremely difficult steps that challenge the entire company. Leo Delibes’ score inspired Tchaikovsky. It is chock full of beautiful melodies. The mythical story has it all: love, betrayal, danger, harmony restored. The costumes and sets are sumptuous and look like something from Imperial Russia. It is a great vehicle for the corps. In fact, the best roles might be Orion’s attendants. They dance a delightful number based on commedia dell’arte poses. Both nights they got loud applause.

I saw the July 10 and 11 casts. The first night I saw Chloe Misseldine and Royal Ballet guest star Reece Clarke (subbing for an injured Aran Bell). Misseldine from far away looks like a taller Fonteyn: jet black hair, radiant smile, a lyrical upper body. Misseldine excels in adagio work. The lushness of her dancing was best in the seductive second act and the grand pas de deux in the last act. But her extreme height and long limbs make her not as naturally suited for the quick allegro footwork. There were some shaky moments in the first act solo’s many direction-changing jumps and tricky pirouettes. Acting-wise, she is naturally regal and commanding as the huntress.

The second night I saw Skylar Brandt in the title role. Brandt is small, quicksilver, more adept at the fast footwork of the solos than the lush adagio of the grand pas de deux. One quirk about Brandt is that while she can balance for a lengthy amount of time, she does not always hold her arabesque in the balance, nor does she stretch her upper body. It gives her dancing a slightly clipped, brittle quality. Still, one cannot deny her technical security. Her opening solo had all the speed and attack that was missing in Misseldine’s portrayal.

Reece Clarke is tall, handsome, a great partner with long lines but also has (unusual for taller dancers) a big, spacious jump. The second night Jake Roxander predictably soared in his jumps, but surprisingly he also stretched his arabesque into a beautiful Anthony Dowell-esque line. His partnering in the grand pas de deux was not as smooth as Clarke’s.

In the first night Jose Sebastian was appropriately villainous as Orion, and Carlos Gonzalez brought real poignancy as Eros. Orion is a great role, as Patrick Frenette (second night) also made a huge impact. Breanne Granlund and Takumi Miyake (second night) stole the show as the two dancing goats. Miyake is another one of those dancers that doesn’t just jump, he flies. The corps de ballet was marvellous: sharp, crisp, in unison.

The houses were full and ovations were loud and enthusiastic, which was a great sign that there is an audience for this sort of non-Petipa classic. I walked out of the theater feeling airborne and filled with the kind of joy you only feel after a truly special performance. Sylvia is an absolute treasure.