The Sleeping Beauty - Pacific Northwest Ballet

EYES ON DANCE
Study Guide for Teachers and Students
Table of Contents
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Attending a Ballet Performance
About Pacific Northwest Ballet
About The Sleeping Beauty
The story of The Sleeping Beauty
About the Artists
Discussion Topics
Additional Resources
The February 7, 2014 EYES ON DANCE matinee of The Sleeping Beauty will feature excerpts
from the ballet, open set changes, and introductions by PNB Artistic staff. The performance
will begin at 11:30 and last one hour with no intermission.
This study guide was created by Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Community Education Programs staff for
use by teachers and students attending the EYES ON DANCE matinee of The Sleeping Beauty.
Reproduction of this guide in its entirety is allowed and encouraged, when proper credits are included.
For questions, call 206.441.2432 or email education@pnb.org.
PNB thanks the following for their support of PNB Community Education Programs:
ArtsWa, Bellevue Arts Commission, Creag Foundation, Dance/USA's Engaging Dance Audiences,
Harvest Foundation, The Hearst Foundations, Byron and Alice Lockwood Foundation,
MetLife Foundation, D.V. and Ida J. McEachern Charitable Trust, Safeco Insurance Foundation,
Wells Fargo Bank, Peg and Rick Young Foundation, and generous individuals.
Cover photo:
PNB principal dancers Karel Cruz and Carla Körbes in The Sleeping Beauty.
All Photos © Angela Sterling, unless otherwise noted
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Attending a Ballet Performance
Going to the theater for ballet is similar to going to a movie:
 The lights will dim before the performance begins
and the theater will remain dark during the ballet.
 Audience members are expected to sit still and quiet
in their seats.
 Photography and video recording are strictly
prohibited. In addition to being distracting to the
dancers and other audience members, The Sleeping
Beauty is copyrighted artistic material.
 Cell phones and electronics should be turned off
when you enter the theater.
 There is no intermission. Please use the restroom
prior to the performance.
However, unlike the movies:
 There is no talking in ballet. The story is told
through movement, music, costumes, and sets.
 Ballet is performed live. There are no second
takes and dancers can react to the audience!
 Clap when you enjoy something, laugh if
something is funny, and give a standing ovation
at the end if it was amazing. Let the dancers
know you appreciate their hard work!
 McCaw Hall is a big theater—nearly 3,000
seats!
 At the end of the performance, the dancers take
a bow. This is a curtain call.
 Some people make their visit to the ballet a
dress-up occasion; others dress casually. Wear
something you are comfortable in so you can
enjoy the performance.
Photos (top to bottom)
Students arrive at PNB’s McCaw Hall (photo © Bill Mohn)
Elementary students at McCaw Hall (Photo by John Austin)
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall (photo © Rodger Burnett)
Most Importantly:
 Enjoy the movement, music, sets, costumes—and HAVE FUN!
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About Pacific Northwest Ballet
Founded in 1972, Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is one of
the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the
United States. In July 2005, Peter Boal became artistic
director, succeeding Kent Stowell and Francia Russell,
artistic directors since 1977. The Company of forty-six
dancers presents approximately 100 performances each
year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver
McCaw Hall and on tour. The Company is made up of
dancers from around the world—including France, Japan,
Brazil, Cuba, Mongolia, and the United States.
The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong
Kong, Canada, and throughout the United States, including
a 40th Anniversary Tour in New York City in 2013. Under the
direction of Peter Boal, PNB continues to expand and
diversify its repertory to include works by Ulysses Dove,
Susan Marshall, Mark Morris, Victor Quijada, Twyla Tharp,
Christopher Wheeldon, and others.
Founded in 1974, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, under the
direction of Francia Russell since 1977 and now under Mr.
Boal's direction, offers a complete professional curriculum to
more than 1,000 students. Considered one of the top
training school in the nation, PNBS is nationally recognized
as setting the standard for ballet training.
PNB’s Community Education Programs provide
comprehensive dance education to the greater Seattle area
and reach more than 18,000 adults and children each year
through EYES ON DANCE, DISCOVER DANCE, fieldtrips, lectures,
classroom teacher training, and other community programs
and partnerships.
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Photos, top to bottom:
PNB Company dancers in The Sleeping Beauty
PNB Company dancers in George Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements, © The George Balanchine Trust
PNB School Faculty member Dane Holman teaches a Level IV PNBS class.
PNB Teaching Artist Suzanne Singla at Graham Hill Elementary (photo © Bill Mohn)
The story of The Sleeping Beauty
**Sections noted in red will be performed at the EYES ON DANCE matinee on February 7 th. Programming subject to change.
Prologue – The Christening
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 bestowing gifts of beauty, temperament, purity, joy, wit,
generosity, and wisdom. Suddenly, the sky darkens and music
announces the arrival of Carabosse, an evil fairy who has not
been invited to the christening. Enraged over her exclusion, she
attacks the terrified Catalabutte and mocks the other fairies.
Carabosse’s 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 not yet given her gift, declares that Aurora will not die but
instead fall into a deep sleep lasting one hundred years. Her sleep
will end when she is awakened by a young prince with a promise
of marriage.
Act I – The Curse
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,
who warns her that spindles are banned in the Kingdom; any
infringement is punishable by death. The King arrives and
sentences her to be hung. But the Queen intercedes and the hag
is hurried away. Aurora arrives and is courted by four visiting
dukes, who lead her in the famous Rose Adagio. But then
Carabosse enters and presents the princess with a spindle.
Enchanted by her gift, Aurora dances joyously until she pricks her
finger; the curse has been achieved. The Lilac Fairy returns to
prepare the Princess and her court for the hundred-year sleep.
Thick vines rise around the palace to protect it from intrusion.
Photos (top to bottom):
PNB soloist Lindsi Dec as the Queen, with company
Former PNB dancer Timothy Lynch as Carabosse
PNB principal dancer Carla Korbes as Princess Aurora
PNB Company dancers in Act I of The Sleeping Beauty
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The story (cont.)
Act II – The Vision and Awakening
One hundred years have passed. Prince Florimund of a
nearby kingdom has joined his friends for a hunting
party in the forest. The aristocratic group dances a
series of rustic rounds before taking off for the chase,
but the contemplative prince lingers to enjoy his
solitude. The Lilac Fairy and her nymphs appear. She
tells the prince of the beautiful princess asleep in the
forest, awaiting the kiss of a prince. She conjures a
vision of Aurora, who enchants the young man with her
dance. He joins the Lilac Fairy in a panoramic
pilgrimage to the palace, where they find Aurora asleep
in her bower. One kiss, and she and her sleeping court
are awakened.
Act III – The Wedding
For the marriage of Aurora and Florimund, a grand
celebration is held in the palace to which fairy tale
characters are invited. They arrive bearing precious
jewels, and each entertains the guests with a
divertissement. Aurora and Florimund affirm their love in
a grand pas de deux.
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Photos (top to bottom):
PNB principal dancer Carrie Imler as the Lilac Fairy, with PNB company dancers
PNB principal dancers Carla Korbes and Karel Cruz as Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund (2)
PNB Company dancers in the finale of The Sleeping Beauty
About The Sleeping Beauty
The Sleeping Beauty represents the pinnacle of 19th-century Russian ballet, a collaboration of
dance, music, and design that continues to influence ballet today. The Sleeping Beauty was
first created by famed choreographer Marius Petipa in 1890, based on the well-known
Charles Perrault fairy-tale, The Beauty of a Dormant Forest. While creating the ballet, Petipa
worked in close collaboration with famous Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The
two conversed regularly regarding tempos, steps, and characters during each scene, giving
Tchaikovsky the inspiration for the now-famous score.
Since then, many ballet companies around the world have performed The Sleeping Beauty,
which showcases classical ballet technique accomplishments of the time. Coveted among
ballerinas, the leading role of Princess Aurora offers opportunities for a rich display of classical
technique and artistic interpretation, from the famed Rose Adagio to the “vision scene”
adagio, and finally the triumphant wedding pas de deux.
Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of The Sleeping Beauty by English choreographer
Ronald Hynd was originally set on English National Ballet. It is based on the historic Royal
Ballet version, with which Hynd and his wife, former Royal Ballet ballerina Annette Page, are
closely familiar. That production, in turn, was closely based on the original Sleeping Beauty of
1890.
Photos (l-r):
PNB principal dancer Carla Körbes as the Lilac Fairy.
PNB principal dancer Karel Cruz as Prince Florimund.
PNB principal dancers Kaori Nakamura and Olivier Wevers as Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund.
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About the Artists
Choreography: Ronald Hynd (after Marius Petipa)
Marius Ivanovich Petipa (1822-1910), born on March 11, 1818, in
France, was a ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Marius
Petipa is cited nearly unanimously by many to be the most influential
ballet master and choreographer that has ever lived (among them
George Balanchine, who cited Petipa as his primary influence). He is
noted for his long career as Premier Maître de Ballet of the St.
Petersburg Imperial Theatres, a position he held from 1871 until 1903.
Petipa created more than fifty ballets, some of which have survived in
versions either faithful to, inspired by, or reconstructed from the
original — The Pharaoh's Daughter (1862); Don Quixote (1869); La
Bayadère (1877); Le Talisman (1889); The Sleeping Beauty (1890); The
Nutcracker (which was most likely choreographed by Lev Ivanov, with
Petipa's counsel and instruction) (1892); The Awakening of Flora
(1894); The Cavalry’s Halt (1896); Raymonda (1898); The Seasons
(1900), and Les millions d’Arlequin (a.k.a. Harlequinade) (1900). All of
the full-length works and individual pieces which have survived in
active performance are considered to be cornerstones of ballet repertory.
Ronald Hynd, dancer and choreographer, was born in London,
England. He studied with Marie Rambert and danced with her company
until joining The Royal Ballet in 1951. In 1958, he was promoted to the
rank of principal dancer and danced an extensive repertoire of classical
and dramatic roles, often partnering Margot Fonteyn, Svetlana
Beriosova, and his wife, ballerina Annette Page. Mr. Hynd was Director
of the Munich State Opera Ballet from 1970 to 1973, and from 1984 to
1986. He has choreographed extensively in the United States,
particularly with Houston Ballet, as well as with American Ballet
Theatre, Ballet West, and Tulsa Theatre Ballet. Among Ronald Hynd's
most noted works are Dvorak Variations, which was created for English
National Ballet in 1970, and was the beginning of a long collaboration
that produced many one-act ballets and original productions of The
Nutcracker, Coppélia, and The Sleeping Beauty. Mr. Hynd's The
Sleeping Beauty, designed by frequent collaborator Peter Docherty,
was presented for the first time outside Europe by Pacific Northwest
Ballet during the 2000–2001 season. Ronald Hynd's full-length ballet,
The Merry Widow, entered PNB’s repertory in 2002 and was most
recently performed in March 2005.
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About the Artists (cont.)
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) studied at the Conservatory in St.
Petersburg, Russia, where Balanchine later studied piano in addition to his
studies in dance. Tchaikovsky is one of the most popular and influential of all
romantic composers. His work is expressive, melodic, and grand in scale,
with rich orchestrations. His output was prodigious and included chamber
works, symphonies, concerti for various instruments, operas, and works for
piano. His creations for ballet include Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The
Sleeping Beauty.
Costumes & Scenery: Peter Docherty
Peter Docherty was awarded a full professorship at the London Institute in 1966 for his
outstanding achievements as a designer and educationalist in the field of dance. He has
designed more than 60 plays, ballets, and musicals worldwide. Mr. Docherty has collaborated on
more than 10 full-length ballets, including Ronald Hynd's The Nutcracker for London Festival
Ballet and The Sleeping Beauty for English National Ballet. His video credits include The
Nutcracker (BBC), The Sanguine Fan with Margo Fonteyn (BBC), and The Soldier's Tale. Mr.
Docherty—founding organizer of Action Against AIDS from 1986 to 1987—is also the driving
force behind Design for Dance, a project that encourages collaboration between young
designers and choreographers. He is entered in the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet, as well
as in Peter Williams' Masterpieces of Ballet Design, and is the author of Designing for
Performance: Diaghilev to the Pet Shop Boys.
Close views of costumes for Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty, costumes by Peter Docherty.
Left to right: Prince Florimund (Act II); Princess Aurora (Act I); Bluebird (Act III).
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Discussion Questions
Movement:
Pre-performance Discussion:
Describe ballet to students as a way to communicate stories, ideas, and feelings without using
words. Ask them if then can tell if someone is angry, happy, sad, or frightened just by walking
into a room. Share a little about the history of The Sleeping Beauty and the time period in which
it was originally created.
Pre-performance Questions:
What kinds of movements and facial expressions correspond to happiness? Anger?
Are these movements fast or slow? Sharp or smooth?
What steps would you do, or expect to see, when a character is celebrating?
Do you expect the steps and movements to be classical or contemporary?
Post-performance Questions:
Did the choreography fit the mood of each scene?
Were any parts of the choreography were confusing to you? Why?
Would you have made any changes?
What movements could you use to make The Sleeping Beauty a modern ballet?
Costumes:
Pre-performance Discussion:
Costumes are important because they help identify the characters in the story. Audience
members can rely on costuming to distinguish characters before they even begin dancing. There
are over 200 costumes used in The Sleeping Beauty- ranging from classical tutus (sticking
straight out from the hips), romantic tutus (long and flowing), jackets and boots for the men,
masks and wings for non-human characters, crowns, dresses, and gloves.
Pre-performance Questions:
What kinds of costumes do you expect to see in The Sleeping Beauty?
How long do you think it would take to make so many costumes? (over one year)
What kinds of materials/considerations are important for dance clothing?
Why do you think it is important for dancers to wear tights?
Post-performance Questions:
What kinds of costumes did you see?
Which costumes were your favorites?
In which costumes would it be easiest to dance? The most difficult?
Which character would you most like to design a costume for?
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Discussion Topics (cont.)
Music:
Pre-performance Discussion:
Remind students that music is all they will hear at the ballet. When compared to movies or a
play, ballet relies heavily on musical cues to foreshadow what’s happening in the story. Music
also helps the dancers stay together while they are dancing. You may also wish to play sections
of music from each act for students to compare and contrast (see Resources, page 12).
Pre-performance Question:
How do you know when something scary or exciting is about to happen in a movie?
What kind of music do you expect to hear during The Sleeping Beauty?
Does anyone in the class play a musical instrument? Which ones?
Why do you think live music is important for ballet?
Post-performance Questions:
How was the music different in each act? The same?
Do you think the music was effective?
If you were creating a ballet, would you prefer to pick a piece of music that was
already composed, or one that was created for your choreography (such as Petipa
and Tchaikovsky did for The Sleeping Beauty)?
Set:
Pre-performance Discussion:
The set for The Sleeping Beauty is elaborate and ornate, fitting with the classical ballet style.
Comprised of backdrops, large set pieces, dramatic lighting, and props, the design took over one
year to create.
Pre-performance Questions:
What kinds of things would you build for the set to show a ballroom? A forest?
What kinds of considerations would scenic designers have to make for ballet?
How might changing the lights change the mood on stage?
Post-performance Questions:
What did the sets look like?
How (and why) were the sets and lights different for each act?
Did the set design coordinate with the costume design?
Additional Post-performance Questions:
Did all of the elements work together to create a successful performance?
If you were the choreographer or artistic director, what would you keep the same? What would
you change?
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Additional Resources
LITERATURE:
Book of Ballet Stories (includes The Sleeping Beauty)
Jane Yolen & Heidi E.Y. Stemple
Barefoot Books, 2004
Available at www.pnb.org
The Illustrated Book of Ballet Stories (includes The Sleeping Beauty and music CD)
Barbara Newman
DK Books, 1997
Available at www.pnb.org
MUSIC:
Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty (St. Petersburg Kirov Orchestra)
Available at: www.amazon.com
The Story of Tchaikovsky: In words and music
Available at: www.amazon.com
Support PNB! Link to Amazon.com through PNB’s website and PNB will receive up to 8% of the
purchase price. More information at http://www.pnb.org/Support/Amazon.aspx
VIDEO:
The Sleeping Beauty, The Royal Ballet; Label: Kulture, DVD released 1994
Available at www.pnb.org
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Visit the PNB website for webcasts, photos, rehearsal videos, and behind-the-scenes information:
http://www.pnb.org/Season/13-14/SleepingBeauty/
Additional Activities:
Visit the PNB Webpage for Teachers at http://www.pnb.org/Community/Teacher/ for:
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Additional movement activities and lessons
Dance vocabulary activities
A behind-the-scenes study guide
Scheduling in-school workshops
Professional development workshops
Teacher discount for PNB performance tickets
For more information or questions, please contact
PNB’s Community Education Programs at
206.441.2432 or education@pnb.org
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PNB Company dancers during curtain call of The Sleeping Beauty