The Magic of Dance (1979)

S1E4 The Romantic Ballet

Margot Fonteyn explores the narrative of Romantic Ballet and its leading figures. In 1832, the world's most celebrated ballerina was Marie Taglioni, known for being among the first to perform en pointe, embodying the essence of the Romantic Era with her delicate, ethereal presence. Her iconic performance was in La Sylphide. However, by the mid-1800s, fresh styles emerged, prompting a revival of the Romantic spirit by Russian dancers in 1909, who introduced Les Sylphides to Paris.