Keaton Johns

Patricia Meredith
DANC 1130
9/20/16
Ballet DVD Paper- The Sleeping Beauty
I watched the ballet The Sleeping Beauty for this assignment, and it was breathtaking for me to
watch. I watched the production at Teatro alla Scala in 2002 with Diana Vishneva as Princess Aurora and
Roberto Bolle as Prince Dsir. The music is written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and the original choreography
was by Marius Petipa, but this production was staged by Rudolf Nureyev.
The Sleeping Beauty is based off of a Charles Perrault tale called La Belle au bois dormant. In the
beginning, the king and queen of a country have a baby, and there is a big celebration. Many fairies come
to bring blessings to the baby, but the celebration is brought to a halt when Carabosse (the evil fairy)
storms in. She is furious that she was not invited, and lays a curse on the baby saying that on her 16th
birthday, she will prick her finger on a spindle and die. The Lilac Fairy cannot undo the curse, so she
alters it to make Princess Aurora sleep for 100 years rather than die; the curse will be broken by a prince
who will kiss Aurora. Every effort is made in the kingdom to remove any spindle or sewing device to
ensure Auroras safety, but at Auroras 16th birthday celebration, Carabosse sneaks in and secretly gives
Aurora a bouquet. A spindle is hidden inside which Aurora pricks accidentally, completing the curse. The
Lilac Fairy puts the whole kingdom in a 100-year slumber along with Aurora. 100 years later, Prince
Dsir is selected by The Lilac Fairy to wake Aurora; she tells him of the curse, and he begs to be brought
to Aurora. He finds her, kisses her, and the whole kingdom wakes up from the spell. Everyone is
overjoyed, and Aurora and Dsir get married.
I was so awestruck by watching this production. La Scala is a humongous and gorgeous theater
which added to the grandeur of the performance. The set and costumes were all stunning to look at. The
production quality overall was top notch, but what I was really impressed with was the dancing. The
whole company was brilliant in their performances, but the two principals, Diana Vishneva and Roberto

Bolle, were jaw-dropping. When Vishneva performs the infamously difficult Rose Adagio combination in
Act I, it appears as though shes not putting any effort into it. When Bolle performs the solo in Act II, he
is so powerful yet effortless at the same time. Both are true masters at their craft, and I was honored to
even watch a video of these world-class dancers.
I learned many things about the structure and performance of a full-length ballet. I didnt know
that after every solo/pas de deux/ensemble number, the performers take a bow to the audience. I
understand that its probably tradition from the beginning of ballet, but it took me out of the story and the
characters; I would rather the performers hold the moment and then continue on with the next number.
Especially after Dsirs solo which was filled with high emotion, I was really thrown off by him taking a
bow. I learned that there are characters that are not meant to dance; they are just there for story and acting
purposes. The King and Queen do not dance, but they pantomime and act out the story. I also loved
watching how even characters in the lowest class still use proper ballet technique mixed with
characterization; the three ladies at the top of Act I with the knitting supplies had hunched backs, necks
that stuck out, but they walked in toe-ball-heel fashion, they jumped with pointed feet, and so on. These
performance traditions are very intriguing to me.
I saw so much that I could apply to my dancing; I also saw things that I wish to understand
further and add to my repertoire. One of the biggest things that I need to change is not so much a
technical issue, but a health and mechanical issue. Bolle is incredibly strong and built, and he needs to be
if hes going to do the insane combinations given to him and have the power to do them with strength and
finesse. I do not take care of my body as I should: I dont work out regularly, my diet is terrible (Im a
very picky eater which limits my food choices), and I dont stretch regularly as well. Body image issues
aside, with these habits, I will never have the strength to do even 1/10th of what he does. I love dancing;
Ive done ballroom since I was 10, and Ive never been able to apply myself 100% because I dont treat
my body well. Im going to make an effort to really take care of my body now; not just because I want to
look better, but it will help me satisfy my dance needs tenfold. Seeing him dance with such vigor is
another wake-up call too. Ive often been criticized for not being grounded and strong enough in my

performances; they seem to be very young, weak, and without power. I want to apply his passion and
vigor into my dancing as well.
I very much enjoyed watching The Sleeping Beauty, and it gave me a new-found love for
watching a ballet. The music is gorgeous, the choreography is exquisite, and the dancing is superb. I now
want to expand my knowledge of full-length ballets and their art as well. I will take what I saw and apply
it to my technique, and it will change me for the better.