Ballo Della Regina / La Sylphide is a double bill of works choreographed by George Balanchine and August Bournonville.

Balanchine’s Ballo Della Regina is a non-narrative ballet that darts between different moods and tempos to match Verdi’s varied score.

Balanchine choreographed ballets for several Verdi operas at the start of his career. He was inspired by the warmth and bold technique of the ballerina, Merrill Ashley, who brought Ballo Della Regina to The Royal Ballet in 2011.

Adapted from an 1832 French ballet of the same name, Bournonville’s La Sylphide unites the human realm of a small Scottish community, which is evoked by traditional folk songs in Herman Løvenskiold’s score, with the spiritual realm of otherworldly creatures.

James wakes from a dream on the morning of his wedding to see a beautiful winged sylph before him. His obsession with the creature risks his happiness and that of his fiancé, Effie.

The Royal Ballet’s production of La Sylphide is staged by the Danish choreographer Johan Kobborg but is steeped in the Bournonville style.

Find out more about the rich variety of West End shows on offer in Theatreland.