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Stories of ballets
Here is a selection of stories from romantic, classical and modern ballets. There are also some ballets from the diaghilev era. These came between Classical and Modern ballets.

ROMANTIC BALLETS

La Sylphide

Choreography:Taglioni Music: Scheitzhoeffner

James dreams of a fairy creature, the sylphide, on the eve of his wedding to Effie. The Sylphide teasingly declares her love for him and snatches away Effie's ring. On the advice of a witch, James wraps the Sylphide in a scarf, to prevent her flying away. Her wings fall off and she dies. James is heartbroken, since by now his best friend has married Effie.

Giselle

Choreography: Coralli/Perrot Music: Adam

Giselle loves Loys, whom she thinks is a poor country dweller, like herself. Loys is Count Albrecht. Giselle's fiance, Hilarion, betrays Albrecht's secret. Giselle kills herself and joins the Wilis (spirits of girls who have died before their wedding night and seek revenge on men). They have killed Hilarion but Albrecht is saved from the same fate by Giselle's devotion.

CLASSICAL BALLETS

Coppelia

Choreography:St Leon and others. Music: Delibes

Dr Coppelius makes a doll, Coppelia. Swanhilda's fiance, Franz, falls in love with Coppelia and Dr Coppelius tries to bring her to life with a spell. Swanhilda pretends to be Coppelia, but Franz recognizes her.They are reunited.

Swan Lake

Choreography: Petipa/Ivanov Music: Tcaikovsky

While hunting, Prince Siegfried sees a swan, who changes into a young woman. She is Odette who has been turned into a swan by a wicked magician, Von Rothbart. The spell will only be broken if a man falls in love with her. Von Rothbart presents his daughter, Odile, in the guise of Odette. Siefried promises to love Odile and then realizes his mistake when a vision of Odette appears. Rothbart raises a storm on the lake and Odette kills herself. Siefried follows her into the lake and the spell is broken.

MODERN BALLETS

Romeo and Juliet

Choreography: Ashton, Macmillan and Others Music: Prokofiev

This ballet is based on a shakespear play. Romeo and Juliet come from fueding families. They fall in love and are secretly married, though Juliet is engaged to Paris. Romeo is banished after a fight. Juliet takes a sleeping potion to make her appear dead, so she will not haveto marry Paris. Romeo thinks she is "dead" and kills himself. Juliet awakes, finds Romeo dead and kills herself.

Cinderella

Choreography: Ashton and others Music: Prokofiev

Cinderella is left at home while her stepsisters go to a ball. A fairy godmother transforms cinderella's rags into a ballgown and diamond slippers but warns her they will return to rags at midnight. At the Ball, the Prince falls in love with her. She runs away at midnight dropping a slipper. The Prince says he will marry whom the slipper fits. After a long search he finds Cinderella.

Diaghilev ballets [[The Dying Swan]]

Choreography: Fokine Music: Saint-Saens

The Dying Swan is a solo dance, potraying the fluttering of a swan as it nears death. It was created for Anna Pavlova.

Le Spectre de la Rose

Choreography: Fokine Music: Weber

A girl kisses the rose she has been wearing before dropping asleep. It falls to the floor and its spirit appears through the window. In the morning she remembers her dream but the rose has wilted.