The Magic of Dance

Margot Fonteyn traces the story of the Romantic Ballet and its greatest exponents. In 1832, the most famous ballerina in the world was Marie Taglioni. One of the first ballerinas to dance on the tips of her toes, she epitomised the Romantic Age - ethereal and sylph-like. Her most famous role was La Sylphide. By mid-century, however, there were new styles, and it was left to the Russians to revive the romantic age in 1909, when they brought Les Sylphides to Paris.