Ballet review: The Sleeping Beauty is no place to sleep

Closing your eyes is acceptable only for a moment to let the music wash over you, because The Sleeping Beauty is a feast for all the senses and is still one of the most beautiful ballets ever created

At the premiere of Queensland Ballet’s restaging of The Sleeping Beauty last night I confess I did close my eyes now and then. But only because Tchaikovsky’s music is so beautiful and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Nigel Gaynor played it so eloquently. With eyes shut you can let the music completely engulf you but I did quickly open them again because I didn’t want to miss any one the gorgeous spectacle unfolding on stage at the Lyric Theatre at QPAC.

This version of one of the classic ballets is by Greg Horsman, a master choreographer who just happens to be QB’s ballet master.

Ballet in its purest form … Queensland ballet stars Victor Estevez and Neneka Yoshida in The Sleeping Beauty. Picture: supplied

Basing his ballet on the original choreography of Marius Petipa, Horsman has luxuriated in the beauty and the heartwarming charm of the story. He articulates that story clearly through movement which is handy when no-one can speak. I mean we all kind of know the story but I like to see clear visual narration and Horsman has people like me in mind.

This is a timeless tale of good triumphing over evil with the evil personified by the bad fairy Carabosse who casts a spell over Princess Aurora, a spell sending her to sleep for a hundred years (along with her parents, the Kind and Queen and the rest of the kingdom) – a spell which is ultimately broken when her Prince turns up and pashes her awake, if you’ll pardon the expression.

On opening night Georgie Swan was mesmerising as Carabosse with her posse of goblins in tow.

Aurora was danced last night by Neneka Yoshida making her debut in the role and as a newly promoted principal dancer. She was absolutely fabulous and her artistry and technique was superb. Not always easy to be expressive and theatrical when a role is challenging but she managed.

The Fairies and Carabosse – Laura Tosar, Mia Heathcote, Georgia Swan, Serena Green and Chiara Gonzalez in The Sleeping Beauty. Picture: Supplied

Her Prince, Victor Estevez was suitably princely and brilliant. The male dancers in general were terrific. QB has really developed its blokes and that adds oomph. I should also mention Yanela Pinera who was great as The Lilac Fairy and also Mia Heathcote who was the orange Fairy. Heathcote is such a beautiful dancer and has such a lovely presence and is always poetry in motion.

Of course everyone was good and the dancers were obviously as swept up by the music as we were although luckily none of them closed their eyes to listen to it. That would be a tad disastrous.

The beauty of ballet such as this is that whatever is happening in you life, you go into the auditorium and as soon as the show starts you are transported to another plane … one of heightened drama and beauty, a place where all the cares of the day seem to fall away.

In this realm the music and the dancing takes over and even though it seemed a tad long towards the end I was with it all the way. Of course it takes a couple of hours to tell the story and for everyone to show off.

This is a perfect ballet for families and it’s a very special night at the theatre. On opening night the Queen was played by Brooke Ray but don’t forget Mary Li is returning to the stage for a few performances in that role on June 8, 10 and 15.

The Sleeping Beauty is on in the Lyric Theatre at QPAC until June 19. queenslandballet.com.au