The Sleeping Beauty (2020)
The Sleeping Beauty (2020)
The Sleeping Beauty (2020)
£3
Journey with The Royal Ballet to an enchanted world of princesses, fairy godmothers and magical spells in this landmark production of Petipa’s classic ballet, to Tchaikovsky's glorious music.
Journey with The Royal Ballet to an enchanted world of princesses, fairy godmothers and magical spells in this landmark production of Petipa’s classic ballet, to Tchaikovsky's glorious music.
The 2020/21 Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen
Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing
Original production (2006) made possible by the Linbury Trust, Simon and Virginia Robertson and Marina Hobson OBE.
Story
King Florestan XXIV and his Queen have invited all the fairies to the christening of their daughter, Princess Aurora. The celebration is interrupted by the arrival of Carabosse, the Wicked Fairy. In her anger at not being invited she gives Aurora a spindle, saying that one day the Princess will prick her finger on it and die. The Lilac Fairy promises that Aurora will not die but fall into a deep sleep, from which she will be woken by a prince’s kiss.
It is Princess Aurora’s 16th birthday and four princes come to vie for her hand in marriage. An old woman gives Aurora a spindle. She pricks her finger and falls asleep. The Lilac Fairy casts a spell of sleep over everyone and causes a thick forest to grow over the palace.
A hundred years later, Prince Florimund is hunting in the forest with members of his court. The Lilac Fairy appears and shows him a vision of Princess Aurora. Florimund implores her to take him to where she sleeps. At last Prince Florimund awakens Princess Aurora with a kiss – the spell is broken and Carabosse is finally vanquished.
Background
Saturday 20 February 2021 marks 75 years since The Royal Ballet reopened the Royal Opera House after World War II with a performance of this classic ballet. We are excited to celebrate this anniversary by streaming our 2020 recording of the landmark production, which was restored to its original staging by Monica Mason and Christopher Newton in 2006.
Marius Petipa's masterful, 19th-century choreography is combined with sections created for The Royal Ballet by Frederick Ashton, Anthony Dowell and Christopher Wheeldon. Together they create an enchanting sequence of ballet repertory gems – the iconic Rose Adage, when Aurora meets her four royal suitors, the lilting Garland Waltz, the 'Vision' Pas de deux, when Prince Florimund sees Aurora for the first time, and the celebratory divertissements and final pas de deux that bring the ballet to its glorious close. Throughout, Tchaikovsky’s masterful score takes ballet music to a height of passion, sophistication and intensity that arguably has never been surpassed.
Cast and Creatives
Creatives
Monica Mason and Christopher Newton after Ninette de Valois and Nicholas Sergeyev
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)