La Sylphide

References

La Sylphide

ballet by Filippo Taglioni

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

La Sylphide is a ballet created by Filippo Taglioni, which premiered at the Paris Opéra on March 12, 1832. It is considered a seminal work of the Romantic ballet era. The ballet is renowned for showcasing Marie Taglioni, an Italian dancer, who was one of the first to dance on the tips of her toes, a technique known as pointe work. Her style was characterized by graceful leaps and balanced poses. The costume worn by Taglioni in La Sylphide, a fitted bodice with a light, bell-shaped skirt, became the prototype for the modern tutu.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

stagecraft
Costume of the 18th and 19th centuries
…ballet with a production of La Sylphide. Eugène Lami designed a muslin dress, an ethereal costume that became the new uniform of the classical dancer, for Marie Taglioni, the greatest dancer of her day.
Read More
…ballet with a production of La Sylphide. Eugène Lami designed a muslin dress, an ethereal costume that became the new uniform of the classical dancer, for Marie Taglioni, the greatest dancer of her day.
Read More

Filippo Taglioni
…and Filippo created his famous La Sylphide for her in 1832, the first of the “ballets blancs,” or Romantic “white ballets.”
Read More
…and Filippo created his famous La Sylphide for her in 1832, the first of the “ballets blancs,” or Romantic “white ballets.”
Read More

ballet
Ballet as an aspect of Romanticism
and Filippo Taglioni’s ballet, La Sylphide (1832; “The Sylph”). The latter, which became the prototype for many other ballets with a spirit as heroine, established the fame of Filippo Taglioni’s daughter, Marie Taglioni, the most eminent ballerina of her generation. Trained by Coulon and polished by her father, Taglioni…
Read More
and Filippo Taglioni’s ballet, La Sylphide (1832; “The Sylph”). The latter, which became the prototype for many other ballets with a spirit as heroine, established the fame of Filippo Taglioni’s daughter, Marie Taglioni, the most eminent ballerina of her generation. Trained by Coulon and polished by her father, Taglioni…
Read More

Marie Taglioni
In her father’s ballet La Sylphide, introduced at the Paris Opéra, March 12, 1832, she became one of the first women to dance on the extreme tips, or points, of the toes; she created a new style marked by floating leaps, such balanced poses as the arabesque, and a…
Read More
In her father’s ballet La Sylphide, introduced at the Paris Opéra, March 12, 1832, she became one of the first women to dance on the extreme tips, or points, of the toes; she created a new style marked by floating leaps, such balanced poses as the arabesque, and a…
Read More