Filippo Taglioni
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Filippo Taglioni (also known as Philippe Taglioni; November 5, 1777 - February 11, 1871) was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. He is the son of Carlo and father of both Marie and Paul. And though it is a common misconception, it is he who was the original choreographer of La Sylphide, in 1836.
[edit] Background
Born in Milan, he made his dancing debut at the age of seventeen in Pisa performing female roles. He danced in other Italian cities before becoming a dancer (at the age of twenty-two) with the Paris Opera. With Vestris firmly in control there, he readily accepted an invitation to be a principle dancer and balletmaster for the Stockholm Ballet in sweden. There, he married Sophie Karston, daughter of a famous Swedish opera singer, in 1803. Together, they had two children, Marie Taglioni and Paul Taglioni, both of whom became dancers themselves.
For several years the family lived in Vienna and Germany but to escape the dangers of the Napoleonic wars, Filippo moved them to Paris. He danced and choreographed throughout Europe, mostly in Italy, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. Finally, he was invited to take a more permanent position with the Karntnertor Theatre in Vienna. Once settled there, he sent for Marie, who had been studying ballet in Paris. Upon her arrival, Filippo was discouraged at her artistic progress and began training her himself. He had her practice ballet six hours a day for six months, using a level method of technique training. He sought to make her style light and delicate, with an emphasis on jumps with ballon and pointe work, something that was unheard of before this time. When she was ready he took her back to Paris. After her debut she became so popular that Filippo was able to negotiate a six year contract for the two of them. The triumphant première of La Sylphide on March 12, 1832 made her the most acclaimed prima ballerina of the Romantic period and him the most renowned choreographer of the day. It is said that the great Romantic period of dance was ushered in on that night. Because of this immense success, the two of them traveled widely together and toured both Europe and Russia.
As he grew older, he became eccentric and unpredictable and eventually lost all of Marie's carefully amassed fortune in unwise speculations. Nevertheless, he must be recognized as a pioneer in a ballet style that was to alter forever the very nature of the art.
He died in Como.
[edit] Misconceptions
The ballet-going public knows the Romantic ballet La Sylphide as being choreographed by Danish balletmaster, August Bournonville. That is indeed the La Sylphide audiences see today but it is not the La Sylphide people saw in 1832. The ballet that was premiered at the Paris Opera in 1832 was choreographed by Filippo Taglioni himself, to a libretto by Adolphe Nourrit after a story by Charles Nodier. The leading roles were danced by Marie Taglioni and Joseph Mazilier.
August Bournonville staged his own version of La Sylphide four years later (in 1836), and was danced by prodigy Lucile Grahn and Bournonville. It is his version that is still being performed today.
