WINNIPEG - Happily ever afters don't come easy. And surely, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet cast is feeling the pangs of The Sleeping Beauty this weekend.
The 19th-century work from Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and choreographer Marius Petipa demands the kind of athletic artistry only a classical ballet can, from gravity-defying leaps to dizzying pirouettes.
As our fairy tale princess Aurora, spritely principal dancer Vanessa Lawson handles the tasks -- many of them en pointe -- like the tutu-wearing pro she is. Jennifer Welsman shares the demanding part in RWB's glittery gem -- newly staged with a few new male roles by renowned dance guru Anna-Marie Holmes -- while Jaime Vargas and Gael Lambiotte take turns saving the day as the handsome Prince Desire.
Highlights run the gamut from a slew of Aurora's fluttery fairy friends flooding the stage tutu-to-tutu, to stunning solos from the glowing Lilac Fairy -- Aurora's saviour -- played by prim principle Tara Birtwhistle and more whimsical moments, notably in the last act.
Darren Anderson summons the drag queen within to play evil Carabosse, who, accompanied by his fleet of otherwordly creatures, curses baby Aurora and returns at her 16th birthday with a spindle that pricks her finger and sends her into 100 years of sleep.
RWB's opulent (and rather lengthy) production, which premiered in 2002 and was first remounted in spring 2005, has an extensive set and wardrobe -- including castle and forest backdrops and over 130 exclusive costumes. Many of the glamourous getups appear in the final wedding scene, where fairy tale favourites make up the guest list. Real-life marrieds Carrie Broda and Alexander Gamayunov unleash catty aggression as the hilariously haughty White Cat and Puss in Boots, Big Bad Wolf tails Little Red Riding Hood and a pair of bluebirds (Emily Grizzell and Dmitri Dovgoselets) fly in for a little pas de deux.
But it's not over until the groom kisses the bride -- and the newlyweds steal the show with the dramatic Grand Pas de Deux before the cast joins in for an extravagant happily ever after.
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