The Sleeping Beauty is a traditional fairytale ballet, first created by the choreographer Marius Petipa in late 19th century Russia. The story is simple: good fairies are invited to Princess Aurora’s christening, and the wicked fairy Carabosse is left out. The slighted Carabosse curses the princess and says she will die when she is 16, but the Lilac Fairy commutes this to sleeping for 100 years, when Prince Désiré will find her and kiss her awake.
Since Petipa’s day, the ballet has continued to evolve, in keeping with the stylistic and technical evolution of classical ballet. These days many different versions are performed by different companies around the world.
This year, The Australian Ballet is reviving the 2015 version produced by then Artistic Director, David McAllister, opening its run in Adelaide. McAllister worked with the company to remount it, and made some revisions. For example, the wicked fairy Carabosse is a more complex dance role, rather than a character role.
The set and costume designs for this production (by Gabriela Týlešová) are spectacularly Baroque, opulent and colourful. Act 1 is set in a glamourised, sanitised version of the late 17th to early 18th century, and Acts 2 and 3 in the 19th century, but ending with a huge fancy dress ball harking back to the Baroque. The era is represented by royalty and courtiers in white wigs, ruffles, lace, brocade, satin, gold and jewels, with the men in skirted coats, knee breeches and white stockings, and women in dresses with draped overskirts, and frothy underskirts.
Tchaikovsky’s music is reason enough to go to a performance. Petipa gave detailed instructions to the composer on what kinds and length of music were required for different sections, and the resulting melodies and orchestration are closely related to the action and characters of the ballet. For this opening night performance, the music’s varying moods, elegance and grandeur were realised by musicians of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the ballet company’s Music Director Jonathan Lo.
Principal artists Jill Ogai and Marcus Morelli both made their debuts in the lead roles of Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré on this first night in Adelaide. Ogai lived and trained here before going to the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, and was warmly received by the local audience.
She was a sparkling and engaging Princess Aurora, with a sense of fun peeping through. Her movements exactly matched the music – not just the main steps, but also all the in-between, linking movements. It was as if she were part of the music. Her solos were precise and flowing, and her Rose Adagio very determined.
Ogai and Morelli are well matched and very in-tune. This is definitely Aurora’s ballet, with the Prince not appearing until Act 2, moping about in the forest. However, Morelli was a supportive partner, and performed his solos with panache. He and Ogai appeared to relish their exciting fish dives in Act 3.
As Carabosse, soloist Katherine Sonnekus was outstanding. Her explosive entrance, after the pretty and delicate solos of the other fairies, electrified the performance, pulling it together and moving it from a visual spectacle to a darker, more powerful drama.
Sonnekus was a wounded fury, threatening, scheming and beguiling by turns, in a spectacular black dress adorned with feathers, and a high conical feathered headdress. Her makeup echoes the dress, extending into black tendrils on her face and arms. Her scrabbling attendants look like rat–crow hybrids, with rat heads and black feathery bodies.
The Lilac Fairy is the most powerful of the six good fairies. In this role, Senior Artist Rina Nemoto appeared tentative at first, but developed a warm and gracious presence. The other fairies (Isobelle Dashwood, Aya Watanabe, Mia Heathcote, Samara Merrick and Larissa Kiyoto-Ward) delighted the audience in their beautiful, richly decorated tutus and distinctive variations.
The Bluebird pas de deux in Act 3 was a highlight, with Yuumi Yamada as Florine and Cameron Holmes as the Bluebird – Yamada notable for her lightness, precision and balances, and Holmes for his beats and tours. Together, they were quick, aerial and birdlike.
The courtiers and woodland nymphs danced with enthusiasm and joy. However, movements in unison were sometimes ragged. This showed particularly in the garland dance, where dancers are holding half hoops of flowers, effectively extending their arms so that small mistimings are amplified.
This is a long show, with three acts, two intervals and curtain calls taking around 3 hours. Most of the action is in Act 1 and Act 3. Perhaps Act 2, with Prince Désiré wandering in the forest and seeing visions of Aurora, could be shortened to a scene in the final act? It is a hiatus in the development of the ballet to its final triumphant conclusion. Act 3 finishes in a blaze of gold, leaving the audience on a dazzled high.
