1 reply to this topic

[Leigh Witchel]

With Sleeping Beauty playing a season at so many companies this spring, I thought it might be interesting to revisit this topic.

Did you go see your local Sleeping Beauty? How did it compare with other ones you've seen?

OK Torontonians, I know you're also in the midst of a bunch o' beauties so you're on the hook.

[perky]

Our very small local ballet company put on the full Sleeping Beauty a few years ago. I thought it was a mistake. This is a BIG ballet, big score, big cast, big ideas, that needs a big well rounded company to perform it. The artistic director had to reduce it so much to fit her small company and small stage that it was like watching the Empire State Building reduced to a small plastic trinket. Leave SB to the big companies with the resources to pull it off and a more unified style of dancing.

At the opposite end of the spectrum I did see the Bolshoi dance SB a few years ago. I've always had a fondness for the Bolshoi, they dance BIG! Loved it.