P. I. Tchaikovsky
SLEEPING BEAUTY
A fairy tale in three acts

Choreography: Marius Petipa, an interpretation by Viacheslav Gordeev
Libretto: Marius Petipa and Ivan Vsevolochki, based in a fairy tale by Ch. Perrault
Stage design: Igor Nejni
Costumes: Tatjana Tulubewa

In 1890, world premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.
The Russian State Ballet’s world premiere was 1999 at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker are Tchaikovsky’s famous ballets, of which Sleeping Beauty fulfils to perfection the ideal of classic ballet.

Marius Petipa created with his choreography an unmatched and unexcelled model, a masterpiece; wrapped in the soft, romantic decadence that was so characteristic for the tsarist Russia at the end of the 19th century. The extraordinary choreographic work at an extremely high technical level is a real challenge for the ballerinas of the Russian State ballet. The role of Aurora makes rigorous demands on the classic ballerina: long attitudes on pointe, interrupted only by the short soli of her four admirers. Sleeping Beauty has many soli roles and an extensive corps de ballet, which make it especially attractive for a big-sized ensemble like the Russian State Ballet. This is a magnificent stage for the dancers of the domestically and internationally distinguished ensemble to prove their profound level of proficiency, their iron discipline and their incredible perfection. Gordeev’s elaborate production transfers the audience to a fairy tale world, with colourful celebrations and parades with truly mythical creatures. As stated by Alexandre Benois, "…without Sleeping beauty, the history of ballet in Russia, and ultimately of the world, would have taken another course." Gordeev, too, claims to have an "an irresistible enthusiasm, a kind of delirium" for one of the most charming ballets of all times.