A thing of beauty

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet unveiled its dreamy new production The Sleeping Beauty Thursday, with the beloved ballet throwing more sparks than a spray of pixie dust.

Considered one of the pillars of the classical ballet canon, the lushly romantic story ballet features Tchaikovsky’s masterful score. American guest conductor Ming Luke crisply leads the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra throughout the production, with the maestro officially stepping onto the podium as RWB music director this fall, taking over the baton from outgoing conductor Julian Pellicano.

The Sleeping Beauty, composed of a prologue and three acts, is essentially an archetypal tale of goodness triumphing over evil. Its protagonist, Princess Aurora, is doomed by evil fairy Carabosse to die on her 16th birthday, until the benevolent Lilac Fairy of Wisdom saves the day by switching the curse to a 100-year slumber.

Only a tender kiss by Aurora’s true love, Prince Desire/Florimund, can awaken her, as they all live happily ever after.

In this reimagined version, new RWB artistic director Christopher Stowell has firmly stamped the work as his own, freshening up Marius Petipa’s original 1890 choreography for 21st-century audiences.

A few twists and turns have been added, including flashes of wry wit, such as the hilarious sight of Puss in Boots “gifting” the White Cat with a rat during the Act III divertissement.

Stowell is unafraid of pushing his dancers to the max, both technically and artistically, with the women in particular often appearing more aloft en pointe than grounded by the stage floor.

Perhaps most importantly, the choreographer has wisely chosen to leave iconic pieces, including the immortal Rose Adagio Bluebird Pas de Deux and Grand Pas de Deux, intact as non-negotiable bones of this ballet.

It’s also curious to see the RWB’s longstanding sets — ranging from palatial splendor to rustic woodland scenes designed by Michael Eagan, sumptuous costumes by Shannon Lovelace and Anne Armit, all lit in rosy hues by Scott Henderson and Michael J. Whitfield — returning under a new choreographer.

Corps de ballet member Kyra Soo (all leads alternating) as Aurora shows off her charismatic star power with every perfectly spotted pirouette or jeté/pas de bourré combination. She crafts a believable heroine, traversing a narrative arc from wide-eyed ingénue to a woman deeply in love with her prince; her expressionless face during Act II’s Vision Scene is particularly harrowing by contrast.

Soo nails the fiendishly difficult Rose Adagio, which has tested the mettle of ballerinas worldwide for generations, in which Aurora precariously balances on one pointe shoe for seemingly an eternity as four rose-bearing suitors present her with flowers. Her fierce concentration and sheer stamina well deserved the thunderous applause received from the mixed ages crowd.

Another standout performance belongs to second soloist Marco lo Presti, who infuses his Prince Desire with regal bearing, proving a supportive, trusted partner for Aurora. In addition to his enthralling athleticism — including tightly controlled battement and gazelle-like leaps across the stage in his Grand Pas de Deux variation — this expressive dancer also boasts commendable acting skills. One can feel his longing for true love during Act II’s Vision Scene, until corps de ballet member Maggie Weatherdon’s Lilac Fairy, radiating goodness right to the very tips of her fingers and toes, “shows” him Aurora, flanked by fairies.

He later explodes in joy as he awakens his princess. Presti also makes mime appear organic and even natural, no small feat in itself.

Principal dancer Stephan Azulay imbues his sneering evil fairy Carabosse with deliciously over-the-top melodrama, equal parts petulant (after being left off the guest list for the baby Aurora’s christening) and darkly powerful, with every angular gesture spelling danger as she lays her curse.

Kudos to principal dancer Alanna McAdie (Florine) and second soloist Liam Saito (Blue Bird) for another show highlight: their Act III Blue Bird Pas de Deux, in which McAdie’s fluttering, quicksilver movements lay the groundwork for Saito’s soaring series of brisés volés during his famous variation evoking the freedom of flight.

Equally charming is the animated sparring of Red Riding Hood (Adeline Fletcher) and Wolf (Park Long).

What a joy to see beloved former company members Jaime Vargas (King), Yayoi Ban (Queen) and Alexander Gamayunov (Catalabutte) back on this stage in character roles, providing a thread of continuity to prior productions. An eight-dancer ensemble culled from the RWB School and simply billed as “Waltz kids” fill the stage with lyrical grace during Act I’s lilting Garland Dance.

We’re now a long ways from the attention spans of 1890, and several sections in the relatively lengthy, 160-minute (including intermission) work could arguably be whittled. An abundance of ensemble sections thwart the narrative’s forward thrust, as do several prolonged set changes, despite Luke’s zesty orchestral transitions. However, the Prologue that sees Stowell’s newly named fairies — Beauty, Wit, Serenity, Charm and Courage — performing a series of variations as they gift the infant with their respective character traits sets the stage for a night of wonder.

Suspending all disbelief and entering a world of magic is really what all fairy tales (and ballet, for that matter) are about, and may well be the calling card of Stowell’s re-creation of this storybook classic.

And lest there is any doubt, the RWB’s newest artistic director has one final surprise up his sleeve — no spoilers here — that elicited goose bumps while garnering a roaring standing ovation by the clearly enchanted crowd.

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