The National Ballet of Canada

Overview

Rudolf Nureyev put The National Ballet of Canada on the map when he staged his own version of Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty for the company in 1972. Showy and opulent, it set off an unprecedented period of international touring and acclaim for the young company and its dancers, and it remains a jewel in the National Ballet repertoire today. The Sleeping Beauty is a classical showpiece, and its many brilliant variations and pas de deux are often performed as standalone pieces in international galas, competitions and festivals.

Fairy Variations

Things to Know

• The bravura dancing of The Sleeping Beauty begins with The Prologue, when the fairies arrive to bestow gifts of character on the baby Princess Aurora. Each fairy performs a variation expressive of her gift: purity, vitality, generosity, eloquence, energy and wisdom.
   
• The fairies are the first indication that, in this production, inner beauty is more important than the physical loveliness attributed to Princess Aurora in the fairy tale. The second fairy promises a vital, energetic life for Aurora in a fast-paced variation full of whirling turns.
   

Princess Aurora’s Entrance

Things to Know

• Princess Aurora’s entrance variation in Act I is light and bright, full of delicate pointe work, airy pas de chat jumps and turns. These gesture to her youth and spirit and the joy she brings to her kingdom.
   
• The Sleeping Beauty is filled with symbolism and characters often stand in for ideas related to the story’s central struggle between good and evil. Princess Aurora’s name means “dawn”, heralding a bright future.
   

Prince Florimund’s Hunt Variation

Things to Know

• Rudolf Nureyev gave Prince Florimund more dancing than in Marius Petipa’s original production – three solos and a grand pas de deux as opposed to a single solo. Nureyev performed the role of Prince Florimund himself.
   
• Act II opens 100 years after Carabosse casts her wicked spell to put Princess Aurora to sleep. Prince Florimund and his courtiers are in the forest hunting for deer when he performs a solo to entertain the hunting party.
   

The Bluebird Variation

Things to Know

• In Act III, Princess Aurora’s wedding guests include several characters from French fairy tales, including the Bluebird and Princess Florine. Their performance alludes to a 1697 story by Madame d’Aulnoy in which a young prince is turned into a bluebird to prevent him from marrying Florine.
   
• Artistic Director Karen Kain won the award for Best Pas de Deux at the second International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1973 for her performance as Princess Florine opposite Frank Augustyn as Bluebird.
   

Pussycat Pas de Deux

Things to Know

• In one of the ballet’s most charming moments, Puss in Boots performs a duet with the White Pussycat at Aurora’s wedding. The choreography is distinctly catlike, with plenty of preening, chasing and pawing.
   
• The pas de deux features characters from two different fairy tales: Puss in Boots, from the story of the same name by Charles Perrault, and the White Pussycat, from Madame d’Aulnoy’s tale “The White Cat.”
   

Wedding Pas de Deux

Things to Know

• The wedding celebrations conclude with Princess Aurora’s regal pas de deux with Prince Florimund. Dressed in white, she performs challenging balances and turns with increasing speed, culminating with a series of fish dives.
   
• The Wedding Pas de Deux marks the return of plot following a series of celebratory variations. Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund express their love for one another and their commitment to marry, signalling the triumph of good over evil.

The Choreographer

Rudolf Nureyev trained in Leningrad before joining the Kirov Ballet, gradually distinguishing himself as one of the great male dancers of his generation. After defecting from the Soviet Union, he formed an historic partnership with Margot Fonteyn. He was Artistic Director of the Paris Opéra Ballet from 1983 to 1989 and its Principal Choreographer until 1992.

The Composer

The late 19th century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky created some of the most popular works in the classical repertoire, particularly his three full-length scores for ballet: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. His body of work includes full-length operas, multiple symphonies and concertos.

The Director

Karolina Kuras is an internationally renowned photographer and filmmaker based in Toronto, Ontario.  A versatile artist, she blends the worlds of fashion, dance, and fine art into ethereal photographs in her signature style. As an avid world traveler she has worked with dancers, companies and publications around the globe, including The National Ballet of Canada, English National Ballet and The Royal Ballet.

Casting

Princess Aurora
Sonia Rodriguez

Prince Florimund
Naoya Ebe

1^st Variation
Jaclyn Oakley

2^nd Variation
Miyoko Koyasu

3^rd Variation
Tina Pereira

4^th Variation
Tirion Law

5^th Variation
Koto Ishihara

6^th Variation/Principal Fairy
Kathryn Hosier

Bluebird Pas de Deux
Bluebird
Siphesihle November 

Princess Florine
Tina Pereira 

Pussycats
Clare Peterson and Jack Bertinshaw

Credits

Produced, originally staged and with additional choreography:
Rudolf Nureyev, after Marius Petipa

Staged by:
Karen Kain, C.C., LL. D., D.Litt., O Ont.

Costume Design:
Nicholas Georgiadis

Music:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Lighting Design:
David Hersey

Lighting Adaptation:
Jeff Logue

Répétiteurs:
Peter Ottmann and Christopher Stowell

Guest Rehearsal Assistants:
Rebekah Rimsay and Piotr Stanczyk

The Sleeping Beauty is made possible by generous contributions from Margaret Fleck & Jim Fleck, C.C., The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Gretchen Ross and Nancy Pencer & Michael Benjamin.

Lead philanthropic support for Spotlight Series is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, with additional support from the Producers' Circle.

The Producers’ Circle: Gail & Mark Appel, John & Claudine Bailey, Inger Bartlett & Marshal Stearns, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, The Thor E. and Nicole Eaton Family Charitable Foundation, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M., Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation, Anna McCowan Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Mona & Harvey Levenstein, Jerry & Joan Lozinski, The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Harry & Lillian Seymour Family Foundation, Gerald Sheff & Shanitha Kachan and The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation.

Photos:
Sonia Rodriguez in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
Artists of the Ballet in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
Tina Pereira and Skylar Campbell in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Karolina Kuras.