The Sleeping Beauty

The Australian Ballet have pulled out all the stops with their production of The Sleeping Beauty. The word I kept hearing at intervals was ‘exquisite’ and exquisite it was!

Last seen in Adelaide in 2018, it has not aged a day and looks as fresh as ever.

One of the ‘grand ballets’, it more than holds its own with Swan Lake, Giselle, and The Nutcracker.

With music by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, original choreography by Marius Petipa with production and additional choreography by David McAllister, it lights up the stage for two hours and fifty minutes (including two intervals).

The story is as old as time. As a baby, Princess Aurora is cursed by the wicked Carabosse: on her 16th birthday, she will prick her finger and die. Her godmother the Lilac Fairy alters the spell so Aurora will not die, but sleep for 100 years. Only a true love’s kiss can break the spell and awaken her.

The visual splendour of this production belongs to the talents of Gabriela Tylesova, from the Baroque splendour of the Palace, to the eeriness of the forest and the verdant lustre of the Palace Gardens. Her three-dimensional columns, designed to imitate cracked porcelain soar above the stage to frame the other elements of the set. The front drop (with similar elements) features a castle painted on a scrim to give us a tantalising view through to the action. The colours are straight out of Louis XIV; rich cream, maroon, deep green, teal blue and of course gold, glittering and sparkling.

This grandeur is then continued in the costumes. There are fairies that could have stepped out of a picture book, elaborate court costumes, tutus cascading with roses and the six metre gold trains worn by Princess Aurora and Prince Desire at the end of their wedding.

The opening of Act 3 with chandeliers rising to the ceiling and sumptuous cream and gold court attire drew well-deserved applause from the audience on opening night.

Jon Buswell’s lighting both highlights and complements the mood of the ballet with its moody shadows and glittering brilliance.

Of course, ballet would be nothing without music, and the renowned Adelaide Symphony Orchestra under the capable hand of Jonathan Lo envelops us in the luscious soundscape that is Tchaikovsky with moods varying from delicate to regal. Lo and the orchestra work as one with the dancers, anticipating their every jete and pirouette.

Jill Ogai’s  Princess Aurora has the perfect mixture of innocence and technique. Her grand pas de deux in Act 3 with Prince Desire is a masterpiece of grace and beauty. The infamous Rose Adagio (ably partnered by Jarryd Madden – English Prince, Drew Hedditch – Spanish Prince, Davi Ramos – Hungarian Prince and Mason Lovegrove – Swedish Prince) was handled well but a little shaky at times. This is understandable though as it is the ‘Mt Everest’ of the role.

Marcus Morelli’s Prince Desire starts slowly and builds to a celebration of technique. His elevation is wonderful, particularly in his pas de seul in Act 3 with its leaps and turns demonstrating his strength and technique. His pas de deux work with Ogai is a joy to watch.

Rina Nemoto’s Lilac Fairy is a light as a feather. This role relies on strength of acting as well as dance, both of which she has in abundance. She floats on stage and tells the story appealingly. An unassuming role, the Lilac Fairy is the pivot that unites the other characters.

Carabosse is the evil fairy you love to hate and Katherine Sonnekus is menacing but elegant, complete with her retinue of rats and an entrance to die for. She slinks across the stage with a sexuality that would make anyone turn to the dark side. Her presence dominates the stage even when she is in the background.

The other fairies feature in Act 1 and 3 particularly with their own dances and support for Aurora. They include Fairy of Grace (Isobelle Dashwood), Fairy of Joy (Aya Watanabe), Fairy of Generosity (Mia Heathcote – daughter of the legendary Steven Heathcote), the Canari Fairy (Samara Merrick) and Fairy of Temperament (Larissa Kiyoto-Ward).

The King (Adam Bull), Queen (Gillian Revie) and Catalabutte (Franco Leo) carry the brunt of the acting and are commanding and compassionate. Leo’s Catalabutte is a riot of fun, particularly when being taunted by Carabosse’s rats

For this reviewer, the highlights of Act 3 (The Wedding) are definitely the two pas de deux, one between Aurora and Prince Desire, and the famous ‘Bluebird’. Cameron Holmes as the Bluebird (partnered by Yuumi Yamada) flies across the stage, with amazing elevation for his height. Holmes delivers a spectacular performance and is clearly an audience favourite.

Add to these principals and soloists a well drilled corps be ballet that are true artists, particularly in the garland waltz from Act 1.

The Sleeping Beauty cements the Australian Ballet’s reputation as the premiere ballet company in Australia and is a masterpiece in every way. It is a visual and aural spectacle not to be missed!

Barry Hill OAM

Photography: Jonathan van der Knaap