PRESS RELEASE

La Sylphide features the return of international guest artist Alban Lendorf and guest conductor Gavriel Heine on select dates

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) April 6, 2026—San Francisco Ballet (SF Ballet) today announced details for August Bournonville’s La Sylphide at the War Memorial Opera House, featuring the return of principal guest artist Alban Lendorf performing as James and guest conductor Gavriel Heine for select performances in the April 10–16 run. One of ballet’s most enduring and beloved works, La Sylphide is a story of forbidden longing, ethereal beauty, and devastating consequence, captivating audiences of all ages for nearly two centuries.

La Sylphide features live accompaniment from the Grammy Award-winning SF Ballet Orchestra, led by Shelby and Frederick Gans Music Director & Principal Conductor Martin West, performing Herman Severin Løvenskiold’s score. At select performances, Guest Conductor Gavriel Heine will lead the Orchestra, following an engagement earlier this season during Don Quixote. Heine is one of the most multifaceted conducting talents of his generation, working across opera, ballet, and symphonic repertoire. Born and raised in the U.S., he was the first American citizen to ever graduate from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and he formerly served as resident conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre for 15 seasons.

SF Ballet is also pleased to welcome back acclaimed international guest artist Alban Lendorf for select performances of La Sylphide. Lendorf previously performed with SF Ballet as a guest artist during the 2024–25 Season’s run of MacMillan’s Manon. A former principal dancer with both American Ballet Theatre and the Royal Danish Ballet, Lendorf is one of the most sought-after guest artists today, performing internationally with companies including English National Ballet and Stanislavski Ballet. The 2013 recipient of the prestigious Benois de la Danse award, widely regarded as ballet’s highest honor, Lendorf brings a combination of classical authority, dramatic depth, and technical brilliance to his performance.

Set against highland landscapes and featuring a tutu-clad corps de ballet, La Sylphide follows James, a young Scottish farmer on the eve of his wedding. James becomes enchanted by a mystical sylph and risks everything to follow her into a magical realm, only to discover the irreversible cost of chasing the unattainable. Bournonville’s signature choreographic style demands athleticism: lightning-quick footwork, bounding jumps, and a momentum that makes his choreography among the most technically challenging in the classical canon.

Additional principal casting for La Sylphide includes Principal Dancers Nikisha Fogo, Jasmine Jimison, Wona Park, Madeline Woo, Cavan Conley, and Wei Wang.

Løvenskiold was only 19 years old when Bournonville commissioned him to write the score for La Sylphide. The work is characterized by lyrical melodies and rich orchestration that complement the ballet’s ethereal themes, weaving in recurring leitmotifs—including the Sylph’s delicate, airy signature—alongside Scottish folk tunes that anchor the story in its highland setting. It remains one of the oldest Romantic ballet scores still performed.

Forty minutes before each performance of La Sylphide, audiences can experience live bagpipe music on the front steps of the War Memorial Opera House from master bagpiper Fred Payne.

Tickets and Performance Dates
La Sylphide is onstage at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco from April 10–16. Tickets may be purchased online at sfballet.org or by calling Ticket Services at 415-865-2000, open Monday through Friday, 10am to 4pm. Casting and prices are subject to change.

Friday, April 10 at 8PM
Saturday, April 11 at 2PM
Saturday, April 11 at 8PM
Sunday, April 12 at 2PM
Tuesday, April 14 at 7:30PM
Wednesday, April 15 at 7:30PM
Thursday, April 16 at 7:30PM

Meet the Artist Interviews
Join SF Ballet before select performances of La Sylphide for an informative talk featuring artists in conversation with a moderator. Interviews are 25 minutes long, and a performance ticket for the chosen date is required to enter the Opera House. Artists and schedule are subject to change.

Friday, April 10 at 7:05pm
Featuring Ulrik Birkkjær, La Sylphide Stager and former SF Ballet Principal Dancer

Sunday, April 12 at 1:05pm
“Meet the Orchestra,” featuring Martin West and the full SF Ballet Orchestra in celebration of its 50th anniversary. The orchestra pit will be raised for this once-a-year pre-performance event to provide audience members with an up close and personal live performance by the Orchestra.

Run Time
Act I – 33 minutes
Intermission – 20 minutes
Act II – 36 minutes

Total: 1 hour, 29 minutes

Production Credits
Choreographer: August Bournonville
Composer: Herman Løvenskiold

Production Direction: Helgi Tomasson
Staged by: Ulrik Birkkjaer
Additional Principal Coaching: Tamara Rojo and Loipa Araújo
Scenic and Costume Design: Jose Varona
Lighting Design: Sara Linnie Slocum

World Premiere: November 28, 1836—Royal Danish Ballet; Copenhagen, Denmark

SF Ballet Premiere: October 25, 1987—Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall; Honolulu, Hawai’i

Music: La Sylphide. Costumes constructed by Dallas Ballet Costume Department, Dallas, Texas. Additional costumes constructed by San Francisco Ballet Costume Shop.

About San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet, led by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, is a world-leading ballet company and a trailblazing commissioner, collaborator, and presenter in dance. With a deep commitment to new and contemporary works and the classical repertoire, SF Ballet is a catalyst for the future of ballet, investing in commissions and acquisitions; presenting established and emerging choreographers with a breadth of viewpoints; uplifting dancers, artists, and creatives across disciplines; and cultivating the next generation of the world’s top dancers in its School.

Contact
Public Relations, San Francisco Ballet
press@sfballet.org
To access press images, please register via this link
Press Center