As the lights went down and the orchestra started to play, the words once upon a time appear and I was immediately captivated by the enchanting fairy tale of The Sleeping Beauty.
After being postponed in 2020 because of Covid this production is truly worth the wait. West Australian Ballet have produced an amazing piece of work which will leave you feeling full of joy, perfect for the Christmas season.
The curtain rises on the celebration of the birth of Princess Aurora, the King and Queen have invited the whole kingdom to celebrate including three fairies who will be her godmothers; Volante the fairy of courage, Grazia the fairy of joy and Lilac the fairy of love.
But they have forgotten to invite Carabosse the fairy of fear who for revenge curses Aurora.
With a massive cast including artistic associate and ballet mistress Sandy Delasalle as the queen and rehearsal director Craig Lord-Sole as the King, the company has pulled out all stops to captivate the audience.
Act I begins with Princess Aurora’s sixteenth birthday and it is wonderful to see principal dancer Chihiro Nomura grace the stage again as Aurora with her fluidity, charisma and technical prowess making it look effortless as she accepts flowers from suitors.
Act II where 100 years has passed we are introduced to our hero Prince Desiré played by Oscar Valdes who matches Chihiro with his technical ability and the pair dance beautifully together.
The costumes, headpieces and wigs used in this ballet are spectacular and create a sense of joy with bright colours and the clever use of era dresses to signify the time passage.
First premiering in 1890 The Sleeping Beauty has become one of the most popular ballets of all time and choreographer Javier Torres has made it more accessible for modern audiences by shortening the story and focusing on the conflict between love and fear.
With Tchaikovsky’s musical score enchanting me throughout, West Australian Ballet’s production of The Sleeping Beauty made me feel like a child again and it was truly my favourite ballet of the year.
With comedy, love and a little fear, this ballet is perfect for the whole family with even a few surprise guests at the end including Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots and the Blue Bird.
The Sleeping Beauty plays His Majesty’s Theatre Perth until 12 December.
Tickets www.waballet.com.au – Phone 6212 9292.
