Russian National Ballet performs the Sleeping Beauty
The fairytale “The Sleeping Beauty” has been adapted thousands of times over since its original publication in 1697. The Russian Ballet’s performance of “The Sleeping Beauty,” however, provides a fresh take on an old classic, awing the audience with elegant poise, beautiful music, and stunning ballet dancers.
The King and Queen greeted the audience and the rest of the kingdom as they introduced Princess Aurora and the fairies. As the story went on, the phenomenal performances took my breath away.
The first act introduced 16-year-old Aurora dancing in the woods. She took center stage with grace, posing with attitude and pirouetting with great energy.
Though my seat in Ham Hall wasn’t ideal, I was able to feel her energy and charisma with every move.
The part that elicited the biggest reaction was when the evil fairy made an appearance, bringing with her the spindle that caused Aurora to fall under its spell and into a deep slumber. Luckily, one of her fairies was there to help lessen the consequences of the spell.
Act II was all about Prince Desire. The poise of the male dancers complemented their female counterparts, making for one cohesive act. At the conclusion of this act, one of the fairies guides the prince to Aurora to wake her from her slumber.
In the third act, Prince Desire kisses Aurora, waking her from her deep sleep and breaking the spell: a scene that has become synonymous with the classic fairytale. What made this act special was that the lighting and music that accompanied the entire act.
Hearing the instrumental of “Once Upon A Dream” struck a nostalgic note with the audience—as heads swayed to the melody, we knew the ending was upon us.
In the final act, the audience was introduced to characters from other classic fairy tales, such as Puss-in-Boots, Goldilocks and Little Red Riding Hood. They also participated in Aurora’s wedding for the grand finale.
If I could watch this ballet again, I would gladly do so. The magnificence each performer radiated was immense and the talent was awe-inspiring.
Each performer in the ensemble was fully immersed in their character, even when off to the sidelines, and the costumes were reminiscent of Renaissance times. The only disappoint was that when the curtain went up, we knew it would be the last performance of the Russian Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty, at least for another year.
Regardless, I’ll be reliving the magic of the ballet once upon a dream.
My Rating: A+
