Wishing My Eyes Were Bigger
As I watched a New York City Center performance of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty ballet, I wished my eyes were bigger so I could take in more of what was on stage. I wanted more of that phenomenally glorious dancing,
and more of those inventive, breathtaking sets.
Given Bourne's skill at making dance not only serve but enhance the music, seeing more would have meant hearing more of Tschiakovsky's magnificent music. Given Bourne's ability to tell a good tale through dance, music, and staging, seeing more would have meant learning more from his new version of the Sleeping Beauty story. Sitting in my audience seat, I was happily with all senses open in the hands of a master.
There is lots to say about how unique Bourne's treatment of this ballet is (this is definitely not the Sleeping Beauty you know). Let's just focus here on one narrative twist: the one that involves a Count Lilac who is King of the fairies. He is also a vampire. In the original ballet, this central rescuer role is played by a queen fairy-no vampire). Count Lilac is the one on the right in the first photo.
This change in character allows Bourne to bridge what is often a confusing gap in story line (i.e., how can sleeping beauty's young lover whom she met before the curse takes effect still be around after all those 100 years that she has been sleeping?). Well, if that young lover has become a vampire through his contact with Count Lilac, then ... I think you can fill in the blanks. Vampires are not Bourne's only choice of the gothic, dark, and creepy over the classical, light-filled, and hopeful in Petipa's original 1890 choreography. With lots of wit and comedy, there are several visits in this performance to the evil side. As I watched, I wondered if vampires and amazingly louche downtown club goers were, in 2013, our major romantic choices. I fear I have some cultural catching up to do. I might have missed a lot by letting the recent vampire craze escape me.
Reviewing the images I have posted here, I need to add that although there is lots of darkness (one reviewer noted that instead of pink tutus in this production, we get fairies wearing costumes that are the color of bruises), there is also lots of light. The ending is upbeat and then there is that amazing Baby Aurora (Baby Sleeping Beauty) played by an absolutely charming puppet, controlled as in Bunraku puppetry. She is filled with light and hope and gumption. There is a theatrical saying that if you dare go onstage with a child or a dog, you are sure to be upstaged. This puppet in her cuteness and responsiveness upstages even the most awesome dancing.
Roma Torre in her television review of this production advises all New Yorkers who missed it to catch the Amtrak train to Washington D.C. The ballet begins its run at the Kennedy Center on November 12th and goes through the 17th. Roma is right.
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