Boston Ballet Presents THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, 3/22

Boston Ballet's spring season will continue with Marius Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty on March 22 - April 7. Those whose imaginations were inspired by the shimmering beauty of The Nutcracker will be struck by the extraordinary history and sheer opulence of The Sleeping Beauty.

First choreographed in 1890 by Marius Petipa, the ballet has undergone several adaptations over its long history. This quintessential version, originally staged by Dame Ninette de Valois in 1939 and again in 1977, honors the distinguished ballet lineage with original choreography from Petipa, his assistant Nicolas Sergeyev and Sir Frederick Ashton.

When Mikko Nissinen first introduced Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty to the Company in 2005, he re-united the de Valois commissioned sets and costumes designed by the peerless David Walker with the 1977 Royal Ballet production. Boston Ballet performed this gorgeous rendition again in 2009 and it was met with ecstatic audience response as well as local and national praise. The New York Times raved the production was "claimed with luster and brilliance" and "a superb achievement".

"I am very proud of this production and the aptitude of our dancers in it", said Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. "This version of The Sleeping Beauty is as good as it gets, from stunning scenery and costumes to vivid storytelling and choreographic pedigree."

The ballet features the illustrious "Rose Adagio," in which Princess Aurora is presented to her four suitors and is considered to be one of the most difficult sequences in classical ballet. Three Boston Ballet dancers, Lia Cirio, Ashley Ellis, and Adiarys Almeida, will be making their Company debuts as Princess Aurora, joining Misa Kuranaga who has been highly acclaimed for their portrayals. The male lead will showcase Boston Ballet's talented Jeffrey Cirio, John Lam, Lasha Khozashvili, Paulo Arrais and Nelson Madrigal in the classic role of Prince Desire.

Hilary Cartwright, a former Royal Ballet soloist and Ballet Mistress served as guest regisseur, lending her first hand expertise with this Sleeping Beauty production. Cartwright has served as Associate Director for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Director of the Nederlands Dans Theater II and continues her work with American Ballet Theater's JKO school and instructing a specialized form of yoga for dancers.

Seen for the first time in Boston Ballet's current home, The Boston Opera house, The Sleeping Beauty is one of the largest productions presented by Boston Ballet; with 384 glittering costumes in each performance and characters in full period dress. This tale of the spellbound Princess Aurora features legendary roles, including the ethereal Lilac Fairy, the artful Bluebird, and the evil Carabosse. The adventure comes to a triumphant close in the Act III wedding celebration attended by notable fairy tale characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, and Puss N' Boots.

The magical fairytale was derived from a story by Charles Perrault, called La Belle au Bois Dormant. Set to a magnificent score by P.I. Tchaikovsky, the work has become one of the most famous ballets in classical repertoire. The familiarity of both the romantic narrative and the magical score make this full-length story ballet an enjoyable experience for the whole family.

All performances of The Sleeping Beauty will take place at The Boston Opera House:

The Sleeping Beauty
March 22 - April 7, 2013

Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Additional Choreography: Sir Frederick Ashton
Production: Dame Ninette de Valois (after Nicolai Sergeyev's 1939 production)
Scenery and Costume Design: David Walker
Lighting: John Cuff
Guest Regisseur: Hilary Cartwright

Friday, March 22, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Friday, April 5, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 1:00 PM

For more information, please visit: http://boxoffice.bostonballet.org/
Casting is subject to change.

About Boston Ballet
Founded in 1963, Boston Ballet is one of the leading dance companies in the world onstage, in the studio, and in the community. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen and Executive Director Barry Hughson, Boston Ballet has developed exceptional education and community initiatives, in addition to maintaining one of the largest ballet schools in the world, Boston Ballet School.

Boston Ballet maintains a repertoire of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary works, ranging from timeless classics such as Marius Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle, John Cranko's Romeo and Juliet, and a rich collection of Balanchine choreography to cutting edge contemporary works by Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo and the visionary Ji?í Kylián.

2012-2013 Season Tickets
Subscriptions for the 2012-2013 season and individual tickets to all ballets are on sale now. Subscriptions and all tickets are available for sale online 24 hours a day at http://www.bostonballet.org or by phone at 617.695.6955 or in person at the box office at 19 Clarendon Street, Boston, Mon-Fri, 9:30am-5pm and on performance days on Sat and Sun, 11am - 4pM. Prices for season ballets start at $29. Tickets to The Nutcracker start at $35. Discounted group tickets (10 or more) are available by calling the box office or the Group Sales Associate at 617.456.6343. Contact the Boston Ballet box office at 617.695.6955 or visit http://www.bostonballet.org for details.

Boston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following institutional partners:

State Street Corporation, 2012 Presenting Sponsor, The Nutcracker

Barr Foundation

The Boston Foundation

Massachusetts Cultural Council

National Endowment for the Arts

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