S L E E P I NGÂ B E A U T Y
M U S I C: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
L I B R E T T O: Marius Petipa
V E R S I O NÂ ANDÂ D I R E C T I O N: Victor Smirnov-Golovanov
C H O R E O G R A P H Y: Marius Petipa
D E S I G N E R: Natalia Povago
C O S T U M E S: Elisaveta Dvorkina
RUNNING TIMES:Â ACT 1: 65 minutes; ACT 2: 60 minutes;
P R O L O G U E
In a room inside the Palace King Florestan and his Queen are celebrating the christening of their daughter, Princess Aurora.  The celebrations are abruptly interrupted when Catalabutte the Master of Ceremonies responsible for compiling the guest list, realises he has neglected to invite the Fairy Carabosse.   Carabosse appears with her entourage and swears that she will be avenged on them all, predicting that one day Aurora will prick her finger and die.   The Lilac Fairy appears and revokes the curse, promising that Aurora will not die, but only fall asleep, to be awakened by a prince’s kiss after a hundred years.  For fear of any harm coming to Aurora, King Florestan declares that on pain of death, no sharp needles are ever to be allowed at Court.
A C TÂ O N E
The villagers are in the Palace Gardens, celebrating Princess Aurora’s sixteenth birthday with garlands and baskets of flowers.  At the birthday celebration, four Princes seek her hand in marriage and she dances with each of them. At the height of the celebrations, Carabosse, disguised as an old woman, gives Aurora a spindle.   The Princess dances with the spindle when suddenly pricking her finger she collapses as Carabosse reveals her true identity. Once more the Lilac Fairy appears and as the Princess is carried indoors and casts a spell of sleep over the whole Court.  Â
A C TÂ T W O
One hundred years later, Prince Florimund and his courtiers are hunting for deer in the forest. Suddenly the Prince becomes melancholy and sends his retinue to follow the hunt so that he may be alone.  In his solitude he has a vision of Princess Aurora and directed by the Lilac Fairy, the Prince journeys through the forest to reach King Florestan’s Palace.  There he finds Aurora asleep and awakens her with a kiss.   The whole Court comes to life and the King and Queen approve the betrothal of their beautiful daughter Princess Aurora and her handsome Prince Florimund.
A C TÂ T H R E E
In the Palace Ballroom, the Court celebrates the wedding of the Prince and Princess with a grand ball.  The fairy-tale characters, the Bluebird, Puss in Boots, and Red Riding Hood also come to pay their respects. Finally, the Prince and Princess dance together and are joined by the entire Court in a final celebration.
