The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty
Russian National Ballet Theater
Lone Tree Arts Center
Lone Tree, CO
February 16, 2017

For those who enjoy watching the ballet, the opportunity to see a Russian ballet company is a special treat. The Russian National Ballet Theater has stopped in other Colorado locations before., On this trip they presented Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty.

The Lone Tree Arts Center is an intimate venue which gives the audience a rare opportunity to see professional ballet dancers up close. Being able to see the detail in the exquisite costumes was a real treat. Each costume was stunning in the fabric and design.

The costumes and set took us to the fairytale land where it is set. It was a bit strange that the second set was nearly identical to the first – with the exception of the stained glass windows. In some scenes it was not clear who the ballerinas were depicting in a scene.

The dancers are obviously very skilled, however, the constant change of ballets and roles clearly has taken its toll. In some sequences the chemistry between dancers is not what you expect at such a high performance level. In her famous scene with the four suitors, Princess Aurora seemed unsure of her hand coordination from suitor to suitor.

The talent of individual dancers was on constant display. The Violet Fairy was poised and strong.  The leaping ability of the Prince was astonishing. Princess Aurora was young and energetic. The dancers in the ensemble were often more set dressing than participants in each scene. Even in that capacity, they were beautiful.

The audience was filled with families and this performance was tailored for that. And the decision to perform the ballet with one intermission instead of two showed an understanding of the spectators.