The Sleeping Beauty The story Ballet terms

Pacific Northwest Ballet presents:
Join Princess Aurora, Prince Florimund and the rest of the kingdom
every Wednesday through January 27 in The Seattle Times.
What is a ballet? A ballet is a theatrical performance that communicates stories, ideas
and feelings through movement and music, without the use of words.
Ballet terms
Adagio: A slow tempo.
Choreographer: The person who composes
or invents a ballet or dance, and arranges
the steps.
Choreography: The actual steps and patterns
of a dance.
Corps de ballet: A group of dancers
who perform in support of soloists and
leading dancers.
Grand jeté: A big, traveling jump in which
both legs are outstretched in the air.
Pas de deux: A dance for two people.
Principal: A leading dancer in the ballet
company.
Révérence: A bow or curtsey performed at the
end of a class or a performance.
Soloist: One of the ranks in a ballet company.
A dancer who performs alone.
Variation: A solo dance in a classical ballet.
Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) principal dancer Mara Vinson and PNB company dancers. (Photo © Angela Sterling)
The Sleeping Beauty
The story
“The Sleeping Beauty” is a ballet that was created
in Russia in 1890 by Marius Petipa and Peter Ilyich
Tchaikovsky. Petipa choreographed the ballet and
Tchaikovsky composed the music. “The Sleeping
Beauty” is a collaboration of dance, music and
design that continues to influence ballet today.
Prologue
“The Sleeping Beauty” is divided into four sections:
the Prologue, Act I, Act II and Act III. (Roman
numerals indicate the number of the act: I = 1,
II = 2, III= 3.) These four parts of the ballet are
similar to chapters in a book because they
separate the sections of the story.
Introducing the main characters
As you read about “The Sleeping Beauty,” record
what you learn about each character below:
Princess Aurora
King Florestan
Queen
Catalabutte
Carabosse
Lilac Fairy
Prince Florimund
In the fairytale court of King Florestan and his
queen, a gathering has assembled to celebrate the
birth of the royal Princess Aurora. Catalabutte, the
master of ceremonies, greets the fairies as they
arrive with gifts of beauty, temperament, purity, joy,
wit, generosity and wisdom for Princess Aurora.
Suddenly, the sky darkens and malevolent music
announces the arrival of Carabosse, an evil fairy
who had not been invited to the christening.
Enraged over being left out, she attacks the
terrified Catalabutte and mocks the kind fairies
who have gathered together. Her gift to the infant
is a curse: At the age of 16, Aurora will prick her
finger on a spindle and die. But the Lilac Fairy,
who has withheld her gift until now, announces
that the young Aurora will instead fall into a deep
sleep lasting 100 years, only to be awakened
by an enthusiastic young prince with a promise
of marriage.
Act I
Catalabutte greets the peasants who are allowed
to present flowers on the occasion of Princess
Aurora’s 16th birthday. An old hag enters with
a spinning wheel to the horror of Catalabutte,
You can find “The Sleeping Beauty’s” latest chapter
location in the newspaper at seattletimes.com/nie.
Newspapers In Education (NIE) provides teachers
and students in the Pacific Northwest with electronic
access to the newspaper, lesson plans and curricula.
To register for NIE, e-mail nie@seattletimes.com or
call 206/652-6290.
who warns her that
hunting party in the forest.
spindles are banned in
The group dances a series
the kingdom; anyone
of rustic rounds before
who breaks this rule will
taking off for the chase,
be punished. The king
but the prince lingers
arrives and begins to
behind to enjoy his time
sentence her, but the
alone. The Lilac Fairy
queen intercedes and
and her nymphs appear.
the hag is hurried away.
She tells the prince of the
Aurora arrives and is
beautiful princess asleep in
courted by four visiting
the forest, awaiting the kiss
dukes, who lead her in
of a prince. She creates
the famous Rose Adagio.
a vision of Aurora, who
But then Carabosse
enchants the young man
enters and presents the
with her dance.
princess with a spindle.
The prince joins the
Enchanted by her gift,
Lilac Fairy in a journey
Aurora dances joyously
to the palace, where
until she pricks her
they find Aurora asleep.
finger. The curse has
One kiss, and she and
been achieved. The Lilac
her sleeping court are
Fairy returns to prepare
PNB principal dancers Kaori Nakamura and Olivier Wevers.
awakened.
the princess and her
(Photo © Angela Sterling)
court for the 100-year
Act III
sleep. Thick vines and foliage rise around the
For the marriage of Aurora and Florimund, a grand
palace to protect it from intrusion.
celebration is held in the palace to which fairy tale
characters are invited. They arrive bearing precious
Act II
jewels, and each entertains the guests with a
One hundred years have passed. Prince Florimund
divertissement. Aurora and Florimund affirm their
of a nearby kingdom has joined his friends for a
love in a grand pas de deux.
The Pacific Northwest Ballet will be performing “The Sleeping Beauty”
starting February 4. To learn more about these performances and the
EYES ON DANCE student matinee on February 12, visit pnb.org. To find out
more about this classic fairy tale, stop by your local library and check out
Charles Perrault’s “The Complete Fairy Tales” or “Sleeping Beauty.”
Next week: The making of “The Sleeping Beauty”