Performance by the Leonid Yakobson Ballet Theatre
Credits:
Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Libretto by Ivan Vsevolozhsky, Marius Petipa and Jean-Guillaume Bart
Choreography by Marius Petipa and Jean-Guillaume Bart
Set and costume design by Olga Shaishmelashvili
Lighting design by Evgeny Ganzburg
The St Petersburg State Academic Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre directed by Honoured Artist of Russia Andrian Fadeyev is a unique dance company. The theatre can take pride in its fifty-year history and is privileged to bear the name of one of the 20th century’s most outstanding Russian choreographers. Today, the St Petersburg State Academic Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre is one of the country’s greatest ballet companies and it has been a recipient of St Petersburg’s loftiest theatre award the Golden Sofit, Russia’s national theatre prize the Golden Mask and the prestigious Taglioni European Ballet Award.
Prologue
King Florestan and Queen are celebrating the christening of their daughter, Princess Aurora.
The court is waiting for the appearance of the King and the Queen. Catalabutte, the Master
of Ceremonies, is revising the guest list. The feast begins. The Lilac Fairy, the godmother of
the Princess, appears surrounded by good fairies.
Frightened servants herald the arrival of the evil Fairy Carabosse, who hasn`t been invited by
mistake of Catalabutte. King and Queen are worried expecting the worst.
Enraged Carabosse escorted by her monstrous entourage arrives. How did they dare to forget
her? Carabosse willing to revenge predicts that Princess Aurora will become the most beautiful
and the smartest of all the princesses but once she will prick her finger with a needle and die.
The Lilac Fairy alleviates the prophecy of Carabosse. Princess Aurora shall not die, as
Carabosse wished but will fall in a deep sleep and shall be awakened by a young Prince
enchanted by the sleeping beauty.
Act I
Princess Aurora has turned sixteen. King and Queen are celebrating her birthday. Noble
guests are coming to the palace to seek Aurora`s hand. The princes are introduced to Princess
Aurora. She is nice to all of them, ready to dance with everyone but she doesn`t favour any of
them. An old lady with a strange thing in her hands attracts Aurora`s attention. The Princess
takes the needle from the old lady and starts playing and dancing with it. Suddenly she pricks
her finger and falls senseless. The old lady is the Fairy Carabosse. She is triumphant.
The Lilac Fairy alleviates the prophecy of Carabosse : Princess Aurora shall not die but fall
asleep for one hundred years. And everybody in the kingdom will fall asleep after her. In one
hundred years the Princess will be awakened and the magic condemnation will lose its power.
Act II
One hundred years has passed. Prince Desire, his friends and courtiers are hunting in the
forest. Once Prince Desire is alone, the Lilac
Fairy appears. She tells him about the Princess. The Prince is longing to see the Princess in
reality.
The Lilac Fairy and Prince Desire are sailing in a boat to the sleeping castle. A dense forest is
around them. The evil Fairy Carabosse and her servants are in the garden. Suddenly they hear
the music signifying the appearance of the Lilac Fairy. Carabosse has no might against the
Lilac Fairy.
Prince Desire finds Princess Aurora. When he kisses the sleeping beauty, Aurora awakes.
Act III
King Florestan`s palace. The wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Desire is celebrated.
Many guests are coming to congratulate the newlyweds: the fairy-tale characters, fairies and
princes. The happy newlyweds are dancing. The Lilac Fairy appears in the palace. All her kind
promises have come true!
