From the Choreographer —

The Sleeping Beauty was the first ballet I saw performed. I was 12 years old, and it proved to be an event that would set my path in life. I knew from that moment on I was going to be a dancer.

Petipa’s choreography for The Sleeping Beauty offers some of the greatest challenges in the classical repertoire for the principals and soloists. Aurora is probably the greatest ballerina role, demanding great athletic ability combined with the purest of classical technique.

My goals in staging this revered ballet were to make as rich a production as possible, to keep what is essential, and to choreographically blend new elements with the traditional ones. I’ve tried to allow the work to entertain without losing sight of its great history and significance, and to tell the story in a way that an audience today will find engaging.