After many years, a good ballet at last, Sylvia by Léo Delibes, with John Neumeier's choreography (and beautiful lightning) from the year 1997. However, I wonder if Neumeier's angular movements will last. It seemed to me that they are already veering towards ridiculous, "so nineteen nineties."

I particularly enjoyed the mythological first act, but less the latter part. In the programme it is said that "at the end of the ballet, Sylvia finally finds genuine love through her own sexual awakening." Possibly that was Neumeier's intention, but I couldn't see it like that. Rather it seemed to me that the poor girl thrown out of her community is taken in (in more senses than one) by men, who take advantage of her, and in the end she is left psychologically alone and dependent on one man for her maintenance. I experienced the scene of Sylvia among men in evening suits as very unpleasant.

As usual for ballets, only the downstairs cafe was working. Even I settled for a free glass of water.

The applause was enthusiastic and long.