La Sylphide is a ballet of a splendid but complicated fate. Its premiere was held on the 12th of March 1832 in Paris at the Academie royale de musique et danse. The performance, which told the story of an immortal daughter of air who was destroyed by her love for a peasant, became a reaction by dance people towards romanticism. It involved precise stylisation of symbols and was vivid as never before, even though it emerged quite late. The main part was created by choreographer Philippo Taglioni for his daughter Maria. She was unattractive and had an awkward round-shoulder figure. Her appearance was totally unsuitable for the images of female characters for the then prevailing “anacreontic” ballets, which demanded the forms and grace of antique statues from ballerinas.