Everyone remembers the classic fairy tale The Sleeping Beauty, but few have experienced the fascinating twist that is presented by the Moscow Festival Ballet. Directed by Sergei Radchenko, the audience is left on the edge of their seat at every stage of the three act performance; from the curse set on The Sleeping Beauty to the moment she falls in love and gets married. The captivating story of the Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora) involves multiple elements that all add to the success of the performance in their own unique way, which create a wonderful work of art. This is precisely why Marius Petipa’s choroeogrphy is considered to be at the top of the spectrum when it comes to classical ballet. More specifically, these elements include Tchaikovsky’s musical talent which sets the tone for the performance, the vibrant costume design which draws the audience’s full attention, and finally the character development of Princess Aurora which sends her on an imaginative journey to eventually fall in love.
Although Tchaikovsky did not live long enough to see his work blossom into the success we see today, his music is highly regarded and sets the tone for the whole performance. As expected, the music is set perfectly for what is being portrayed on stage at that given moment. For example, when the evil fairy Carabosse pronounces her curse on Princess Aurora, the music surrounding this scene can be described as somber and mysterious, giving the audience an ominous sense. It is as if you know a plot twist is about to occur, just from listening to music building up to the scene of the curse. In contrast, listening to the music at points during the performance such as the ballerinas dancing marvelously across the stage or when the Prince kisses Princess Aurora, we see a much more cheerful tone in which the audience feels more relaxed and at ease. This is due to the fact that the atmosphere is lightened by the gentle yet sophisticated music at these stages of the performance. The intense music couples with the intricate and colorful costume designs from the great Simon Virsaladze as another strong element to the overall performance. Similar to the precise selection of the music, the costume design for each character is picked for depending on their role in the performance. For example, the beautiful Princess Aurora is dressed bright and vibrant, complimented by the warm smile on her face and her fluid and smooth dance moves. On the other hand, Caraboose is dressed in dark robes, alluding back to the somber feeling the audience gets when she is on the stage. Another important character that I haven’t really discussed is the Lilac Fairy who is dressed in vivid purple to describe her conflicting personality to the …show more content…
Each act represents a transition, from one stage of life to the next, an opportunity for the audience to see the character grow and develop. In Act I we see a young girl celebrating her youth, while we move later in the play we see her fall in love and eventually get married by Act III. I think this character development resonates with a lot of people in the audience because it lets them reflect on their childhood while at the same time remembering how they eventually grew up and to learn about the world become wiser, just like the
Although Tchaikovsky did not live long enough to see his work blossom into the success we see today, his music is highly regarded and sets the tone for the whole performance. As expected, the music is set perfectly for what is being portrayed on stage at that given moment. For example, when the evil fairy Carabosse pronounces her curse on Princess Aurora, the music surrounding this scene can be described as somber and mysterious, giving the audience an ominous sense. It is as if you know a plot twist is about to occur, just from listening to music building up to the scene of the curse. In contrast, listening to the music at points during the performance such as the ballerinas dancing marvelously across the stage or when the Prince kisses Princess Aurora, we see a much more cheerful tone in which the audience feels more relaxed and at ease. This is due to the fact that the atmosphere is lightened by the gentle yet sophisticated music at these stages of the performance. The intense music couples with the intricate and colorful costume designs from the great Simon Virsaladze as another strong element to the overall performance. Similar to the precise selection of the music, the costume design for each character is picked for depending on their role in the performance. For example, the beautiful Princess Aurora is dressed bright and vibrant, complimented by the warm smile on her face and her fluid and smooth dance moves. On the other hand, Caraboose is dressed in dark robes, alluding back to the somber feeling the audience gets when she is on the stage. Another important character that I haven’t really discussed is the Lilac Fairy who is dressed in vivid purple to describe her conflicting personality to the …show more content…
Each act represents a transition, from one stage of life to the next, an opportunity for the audience to see the character grow and develop. In Act I we see a young girl celebrating her youth, while we move later in the play we see her fall in love and eventually get married by Act III. I think this character development resonates with a lot of people in the audience because it lets them reflect on their childhood while at the same time remembering how they eventually grew up and to learn about the world become wiser, just like the