Singapore Dance Theatre presents Sleeping Beauty 13 C 16 December 2012 at the Esplanade Theatre
Published by The Online Citizen on November 12, 2012
In celebration of the magical Christmas season, a time of love, hope and festivities, Singapore Dance Theatre will enchant audiences with Sleeping Beauty, a ballet often considered as the pinnacle of classical repertoire. Staged by artistic director Janek Schergen featuring choreography by Marius Petipa, Singapore Dance Theatre will bring this beloved fairy-tale to life at the Esplanade Theatre asa grand finale to the 2012 season, with stunning costumes, spectacular sets and principal dancers of incomparable technique. This is the second time SDT is performing Sleeping Beauty, following the company premiere of the piece in 2010.
A treat for all ages, audiences will be captivated by this timeless tale about a beautiful princess, a spell of 100 years sleep, a charming prince and a true love's kiss which awakens the kingdom's slumber. Sleeping Beauty is set to a rich score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with stunning costumes designed by Tracy Grant Lord.
Sleeping Beauty was made famous by the legendary production of The Royal Ballet in London. Their production links directly back to the original performance of the ballet in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia. The original score was created by P. I. Tchaikovsky especially for the first performance of the ballet. It remains one of the most well-known pieces of classical music in the world today. Sleeping Beauty is a perfect blend of music and dance, combined to become a visual spectacle.
Janek Schergen comments, "Sleeping Beauty is the turning point for technique for a company, and is often considered as the finest achievement in classical ballet. It is one of the most demanding ballet productions with over 150 roles, involving more classical dancing than any other ballet. To produce Sleeping Beauty is to declare that the company is mature."
Indeed, staging Sleeping Beauty is exhilarating for Singapore Dance Theatre especially with the large cast essential for the production, the massive amount of costumes involved and dramatic set changes which reflect the transposition of time between acts. With its awe-inspiring opulence and outstanding choreography, Sleeping Beauty is set to turn heads this year.
Be spellbound by one of the most famous ballets in the classical repertoire!
Sleeping Beauty Action - Photo Credit - Dennis Ng
Synopsis
The tale begins as the court assembles for Princess Aurora's christening. In their excitement, the royal family forgets to invite the wicked and powerful fairy, Carabosse. Furious at being overlooked, Carabosse turns up unannounced and places a curse on Aurora. She declares that Aurora shall die on her 16th birthday after pricking her finger. The Lilac Fairy, equal in power to Carabosse, intervenes. She gives her own blessing 〞 the princess, instead of dying, will fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years. She will only be awaked by true love's kiss.
For 16 years, Princess Aurora is kept safe, but tragedy strikes on her 16th birthday. She pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep. The Lilac fairy casts a spell to ensure that the kingdom slumbers with her. A hundred years later, Prince Florimund is hunting in the woods. The Lilac Fairy appears and shows him a vision of Princess Aurora. He immediately falls in love with her and embarks on a quest to break the spell. The ballet ends in a grand finale celebrating the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund.
The Characters
For this production of Sleeping Beauty, the main cast are:
Princess Aurora Rosa Park/Chihiro Uchida
Prince Florimund Chen Peng/ Kenya Nakamura
Lilac Fairy Chihiro Uchida/ Tomoko Takahashi
Carabosse Heidi Zolker
Bluebird Zhao Jun/ Kensuke Yorozu
Princess Florine Nanase Tanaka/ Ayami Miyata
This production of Sleeping Beauty promises sheer sophistication in performance, leaving nothing but the best on view. The role of Princess Aurora is the greatest test of a classical ballerina. She has to be of incomparable technique, perfect in the entire spectrum of ballet movements. This role will be played by senior artists Rosa Park and Chihiro Uchida who have also performed this role in the 2010 production.
Senior Artist Chen Peng will be reprising his role in this production. Prince Florimund will played by both Chen Peng and Kenya Nakamura. This season will also see both Chihiro Uchida and Tomoko Takahashi playing the role of the Lilac Fairy. First Artist Heidi Zolker will be playing the role of Carabosse. Zhao Jun and Kensuke Yorozu will also playing the role of Bluebird once again in this production while Nanase Tanaka will reprise her role of Princess Florine alongside Ayami Miyata.
Various discount schemes are available Admission for 6 years old and above
We apologise that we are unable to admit infants in arms and children below 6 years old. Children 6 years old and above will require a ticket for entry.
Tickets are available through all SISTIC outlets and SDT office from 24 September 2012.
