Dance Prism Reawakens Sleeping Beauty

Dance Prism will premier its new production of the beloved classic ballet Sleeping Beauty with performances at the Littleton Performing Arts Center on October 23 at 2:30, Ephraim Curtis Theater in Sudbury on October 29 at 6:30 and at the Collins Center in Andover on October 30 at 2:30 pm. In this magical tale, the beautiful Princess Aurora, blessed by benevolent fairies, is awakened from a century of enchanted sleep by the kiss of a valiant Prince. Freed from the curse of a vengeful evil spirit, she is finally surrounded by a dazzling cast of fairy tale characters come to celebrate her wedding. Audience member swill also be invited to celebrate with Aurora and other characters at a complimentary reception following the performance.

Set to Tchaikovsky’s luxuriant score, the ballet derives from the original 1890 St Petersburg presentation choreographed by Marius Petipa and based on a story popularized by Charles Perrault and later the Brothers Grimm. Its revival for Dance Prism is directed by company principal dancer / choreographer Miranda Bailey and Artistic Director Mary Demaso and will feature Caitlin Klinger and Alex Roy in the roles of Princess Aurora and her Prince and Katherine Roy as the Lilac Fairy.

Sleeping Beauty is at once the quintessentially romantic saga of a young woman rescued from an ill-deserved fate by a daring hero and a charmingly framed explication of the ever-warring forces of good and evil: The spiteful curse of an early death imposed on an infant by the malevolent fairy Carabosse is countered by the grace of reawakening in the promise of the Lilac Fairy. The triumph of good — and romance — reaches one of ballet’s most exuberant celebrations in the witty and wonderful participation of other Perrault characters, Puss in Boots and the White Cat, Red Riding Hood and the Grey Wolf, the virtuoso Bluebirds, and more..

Significantly, the Director says, Lilac and her attendant fairies bestow on the infant princess the gifts of grace and generosity, beauty, musicality and high spirited temperament. “Those qualities really inform the entire ballet, I think. Malice is diffused with the wave of a wand, poise and playfulness alternate in the lovely patterns of Petipa’s choreography, and joy prevails in the end. For me, working on it provides a welcome respite from a landscape in which those qualities seem to be increasingly rare. We look forward to presenting this life-affirming ballet in a family accessible production.”

Tickets for Sleeping Beauty are priced at $20 for children, students with ID, and seniors, $26 for adults; generous group discounts are offered. Special pre-performance programs may be arranged in advance for youth groups and other organizations. Seating is reserved; handicapped seating is available and easily accessible. For all performances, tickets are available online at www.danceprism.com or at 978-371-1038.

About Dance Prism

Dance Prism, founded in 1982 by Scott Ranagan and Mary Demaso, is a classically focused ensemble that includes in its repertoire both such narrative ballets as The Nutcracker and Cinderella, and original works including Variations on Make Way for Ducklings, inspired by Robert McCloskey’s beloved tale, and Dance Prism’s most popular family oriented ballet, A Tea Party with Alice in Wonderland. Among recent productions have been such major works as Giselle, Swan Lake, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dance Prism is composed of approximately 25 professional dancers and apprentices, supplemented for larger productions such as The Nutcracker by serious ballet students who audition annually for the company. Dance Prism’s casts include dancers based throughout the northeast region and eastern seaboard. The company also provides performances, lecture demonstrations, and workshops for a number of private and public schools and retirement communities throughout the region. Dance Prism is a performance organization only.