Ballet West is diving into the well-known story of Princess Aurora in their upcoming production of “The Sleeping Beauty.”
Having graced the stage for the past 130 years, the story of Aurora and her timely misfortunes was first depicted in Russia through the choreography of Marius Petipa, whose choreography was based on a fairy tale by Charles Perrault. The ballet’s music was then composed by the iconic Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The story has since been carried throughout generations through in many ways, most notably via the popular Disney depiction by the same name.
Staying near to the original story, Ballet West’s CEO and Artistic Director Adam Sklute worked to portray Perrault’s fairy tale with theatrics as well as innovative creativity. “I’m trying to flesh-out the drama and fairy tale qualities of ‘The Sleeping Beauty,’” said Sklute.
The story of “The Sleeping Beauty” is one anybody can relate to, especially college-aged students. “It is an allegory for a young woman coming of age and the process of growing up. It is about battles between good and evil that happen throughout our lives,” said Skulte.
Sklute sets this production apart from past performances in his willingness to innovate. “I always found myself frustrated with the way the evil fairy is vanquished at the end of Act II,” Sklute said. “We are working to create a more dramatic demise for her and her minions. It will be very exciting.”
Another appealing element to this production is an event scheduled to take place immediately preceding each performance. Beginning promptly one hour before show time, Ballet West and artists from “The Sleeping Beauty” will be hosting “Warm-Ups,” providing additional and intriguing information audiences will enjoy hearing. “There are so many intricate details about ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ that audiences can miss,” Sklute explained. “Warm-ups add to the experience by giving a layer of context to the story, cues to watch for, variations that are important, recurring themes that might be missed.”
The informative session is free to ticket holders and will also include time for audience members to ask any questions they may have for the performers.
“I fully encourage people to come to Warm-Ups; an audience member will gain both a sense of history and magic of the production,” said Skulte.
And for those unfamiliar with ballet, consider experiencing this iconic piece. “[The Sleeping Beauty] is a perfect introduction to ballet, with one of the greatest musical scores ever written. And, it’s just plain fun,” said Sklute.
“The Sleeping Beauty” will be running Feb. 10-26 at the Capitol Theater. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Feb. 11, 18, 19 and 26. Single tickets range from $30 to $80 and are available through ArtTix at www.arttix.org or by calling (801) 355-ARTS. Discounts are also available for groups of 15 or more by calling Ballet West at (801) 323-6900.