The Sleeping Beauty

Friday & Saturday, May 16, 17, 7 pm
Sunday, May 18, 2 pm
VHS Theater
Tickets: $10/$13

Blue Heron Dance performs The Sleeping Beauty

Rediscover the romance and beauty in the timeless tale of The Sleeping Beauty when Blue Heron Dance performs the Ballet at VHS May 16, 17, and 18. A fairy tale classic, Sleeping Beauty was originally written in 1697 by Charles Perrault, and made famous by Tchaikovsky. The Ballet continues to inspire dancers more than 100 years after it was first performed in St. Petersburg.

Regarded as the composer’s finest ballet score, Blue Heron Dance Company performed the work a decade ago. Dance Director, Christine Juarez said, “I chose this ballet because we have so many advanced dancers. It is a complex and challenging ballet. I have completely revamped this version, so those who saw it 10 years ago will see a very different piece this time.”

A three-act ballet comprised of multiple solos and duets, Juarez adds that part of the challenge is the complex music and working with multiple groupings. The Sleeping Beauty, performed exclusively by Blue Heron Dance Company (50 of the more advanced students) will include Ballet 2, 3, 4 and 6, Modern 1, 2 and 3. “In the first portion of the program younger students will perform excerpts from Midsummer Night’s Dream, La Fille Mal Garde and the famous Rose Adagio, a Sleeping Beauty excerpt that depicts a young girl's blossoming into womanhood). Youngest dancers, always a crowd-pleaser, will perform The Fairies and the Dragon, a storytelling piece about accepting differences. “This piece originated with Ballet 6 dancers and now it has come full circle back to our youngest dancers,” said Juarez, who has also mentored several senior dancers this year as teaching assistants. Madeline Morser, Chelsea Clark, Selia Bellscheidt and Amorita Juarez have helped instruct young dancers.

Sarah Balcom, perfectly cast as Sleeping Beauty, will be in good company with a large group of experienced dancers, many VHS juniors who have danced together since childhood. Molly Crosby will play the The Lilac Fairy. Other fairies include: Chelsea Clark; Sami Ressler; Amorita Juarez; Camille Kappelman; Sophie Pawlowski; Madeline Morser; Clarissa Boyajian; Trudy Soriano; and Shannon Hennessey (who plays the pivotal role of the cranky Black Fairy).

Truly a not-to-be-missed visual feast of swirling movement, the action begins at Princess Aurora’s (Sleeping Beauty) christening party, where fairies bestow gifts such as eloquence, grace and industry on the royal baby. When the Black Fairy is excluded from the event, she casts a nasty spell decreeing the child will die of a needle prick on her 20th birthday. The Lilac Fairy resends the spell so the girl will merely fall asleep until her true love finds her. Subsequently, all the needles in the kingdom are banished. Yet Aurora’s curiosity lures her to unlock a secret door where she inevitably pricks her finger on the kingdom’s only remaining spindle and falls into the foretold slumber. Time passes until during a hunting expedition, Prince Desiré (Woody Waits) discovers The Sleeping Beauty with guidance from the Lilac Fairy. He awakens Aurora and the grand finale celebrates their betrothal attended by the entire kingdom and host of fairy tale characters including Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, the ogre and the silver, gold, diamond and sapphire fairies.

As always, the talented Kate Guinee has constructed beautiful costumes for dancers. Juarez calls set and props mistress, Carol Sayre ‘The texture and fabric diva.’ Set painting by Gail Labinski and Kim Lazare help make the vision become reality. Stan Voynick brings his heroic production skills to the entire performance while backstage managers Nancy Kappelman and Brenda Misel keep everything and everyone organized. Melissa Balcom and Alison Bockus will create front of house magic, featuring a gift basket auction with themes from The Sleeping Beauty, lovingly created by ballet classes. For example, Sleeping Beauty’s basket (created by Prep, Primary and Ballet I) will feature lovely items related to sleeping; Ballet 4, 5, 6 will offer the Rose basket, with items related to roses and gardening. Students will also creatively decorate old Pointe shoes (a great gift for any ballerina’s room) to auction. All proceeds benefit Blue Heron Dance.

New this year, Juarez will present Ten Year Tiaras for students who have danced 10 consecutive years with Blue Heron Dance. “This is a way to recognize commitment and consistency and to show the kind of dancing that persistence can reap,” said Juarez. “I’m hoping this is the beginning of a very long tradition.”

Call Now for Tickets!  206.463.5131