The Sleeping Beauty: NYCB relishes this traditional version

Ashley Laracey as the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty

Tiler Peck as Aurora in Act 1 of The Sleeping Beauty

Roman Mejia and Emma Von Enck as the Bluebird and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty

Chun-Wai Chan and Tiler Peck in The Sleeping Beauty

By Ivy Lin, 18 February 2023

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“This 1890 masterpiece challenges every single dancer in the company”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: David H Koch Theater, New York City on 16 February 2023

The Sleeping Beauty (Peter Martins, George Balanchine)

New York City Ballet

Andrew Litton, Conductor

David Mitchell, Set Designer

Patricia Zipprodt, Costume Designer

Tiler Peck, Dancer

Chun-Wai Chan, Dancer

Ashley Laracey, Dancer

Ashley Hod, Dancer

Emma Von Enck, Dancer

Roman Mejia, Dancer

KJ Takahashi, Dancer

Andres Zuniga, Dancer

Daniel Ulbricht, Dancer

Mejia debuts in a sumptuous Sleeping Beauty at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 12th February

Roman Mejia and a raft of soloist debuts galvanized Peter Martins' Sleeping Beauty. An elegant production with some incidental messiness and the structural liability of a princess' dependence on a kiss.

****1

Few signs of heat in a mixed bill at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 25th September

New York City Ballet offered a few exhilarating moments in a mishmash of a program from the company with arguably the greatest rep in the world.

***11

Sara Mearns makes Swan Lake watchable again

Carla Escoda, 19th February

Peter Martins' Swan Lake continues to divide ballet fans. Can Sara Mearns unite them, 19 years after her astonishing debut as Odette-Odile?

***11

New York City Ballet Goes Four for Four

Carla Escoda, 9th February

One minor Balanchine, elevated by commanding performances; a rare Albert Evans; Peter Martins at his most compelling and Jerome Robbins at his funniest.

****1

New York audiences still flock to Balanchine's uninspired Swan Lake

Ivy Lin, 12th February

Balanchine's unbreakable Serenade leads a mixed bill that includes his less than inspired one-act version of Swan Lake.

***11

Barber, Broadway and Balanchine bring a buzz to New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 5th May

Maria Kowroski and Tyler Angle at the top of their game in Diamonds. A smoking performance from Sara Mearns in Slaughter on 10th Avenue. Strong debuts from Emma Von Enck and Taylor Stanley and a memorable classical turn by Aaron Sanz in the Barber.

****1

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Ivy Lin

Ivy Lin's love of ballet began in high school when at the school dance she quickly realized she had two left feet. One always admires things one cannot do, and so Ivy began to attend dance performances to marvel at the grace and beauty of bodies in motion. Ivy's day job is a biology teacher and after a long day in the classroom she loves to unwind by watching dance. She also enjoys theater, opera, pop and classical music. Ivy has her own blog (www.humbledandoverwhelmed,blogspot.com)