UK Theatre Network

The Russian State Ballet and Orchestra of Siberia

In the second of their three dazzling ballet masterpieces, presented at the Waterside on consecutive nights, The Russian State Ballet of Siberia performed traditional fairy story Sleeping Beauty on Friday 25th March.

Formed in 1981, The Russian State Ballet of Siberia has now established itself as one of Russia’s leading ballet companies and has built an international reputation for delivering performances of outstanding quality and unusual depth. Both the soloists and the corps de ballet have been highly praised by critics, and never fail to delight audiences with their breathtaking ability and stunning costumes.

The classic story of love and innocence, mystery and magic, Sleeping Beauty , continues to prove why it is every child’s favourite fairytale. With stunning choreography, sumptuous costumes and wonderful sets the fantasy world is created in which the Lilac Fairy struggles against the evil Carabosse.

The backdrops and some of the first costumes had very muted colours and the fairies costumes complimented this with the soft pallet of pastel shades.  It was interesting to see the use of Jacobean period costume with the men wearing huge wigs, feathered hats and breeches, which can’t have been easy to dance in!  Prince Desire though wore more traditional ballet tights enabling him to leap and jump around the stage with great vigour and ease.

The story begins at the Christening of Princess Aurora in the palace of King Florestan 1V, played with imperious aloofness by Alexander Kuimov and his graceful Queen (Margarita Nosik).  The fairies of the Kingdom are presenting presents to the new Princess, when the evil fairy Carabosse (gleefully played by Kirill Litvinenko, who makes a great villain and whose presence fills the stage) enters with her rats and tries to attack the Princess.  The statuesque and very elegant Natalia Vyskubenko beautifully plays the Lilac Fairy who blocks Carabosse from her evil intent, but not before she has pulled out the hair of Cattalabutte (Roman Kirkorov) and promised that the Princess will die after pricking her finger. 

On Princess Aurora’s (Maria Kuimova) 16th birthday party, the villagers join in the festivities and make garlands for her.  Four Princes arrive and she dances with each of them in turn, charming them all with her great beauty and accomplished dancing.  Carabosse gives Aurora a spindle and she pricks her finger, dancing dizzily before collapsing.  As Carabosse vanishes, the Lilac Fairy appears and assures the King and Queen that the Princess has not died, but is only in a deep sleep.  She is carried up to bed and Lilac Fairy waves her wand to make the whole kingdom fall into a deep sleep.

Act 2 takes place 100 years later, as Prince Desire (Yury Vyskubenko) searches for Princess Aurora in the forest.  Lilac Fairy appears and takes him to her and when he kisses Aurora she awakens, along with everyone in the kingdom making Carabosse die.  At the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Desire, all the fairy tale characters from Charles Perrault’s stories come to celebrate and dance for them.  There’s the white cat (Anastasia Kazantesva) and Puss-in-Boots (Denis Pogorelyy), Bluebird (Ivan Karnaukhov), Princess Florine (Natalia Goroshko), Little Red Riding Hood (Anna Germizeeva) and the Wolf (Roman Pavlenko), Cinderella (Ksenia Vdovina) and the Prince (Vyacheslav Kapustin).  In true classical fairy tale fashion they all live happily ever after!

 For the latest programme at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre visit www.ambassadortickets.com/aylesbury  or call the Box Office on 0844 871 7607.

Yvonne Delahaye
www.uktheatre.net