Nina Levy spoke to Yanela Piñera, principal dancer with the Queensland Ballet, to find out what it's like to dance that most feared and revered of classical ballet roles... Aurora.
For Yanela Pinera, the role of Aurora is more than just a physical challenge. “This production is really special to me because it was the first production I ever danced as a principal dancer,” she explains. “Whatever stage of my career I am at, I will always remember the role of Aurora and I will always enjoy it.” Piñera first danced the role in 2009, in Alicia Alonso’s version of The Sleeping Beauty with the National Ballet of Cuba. She is performing in Greg Horsman’s The Sleeping Beauty for the Queensland Ballet.
For Piñera, preparing to be Aurora is about getting inside the skin of a teenager. “Not only is the technical side challenging but also the interpretation of the role,” she says. “From a technical side, yes, it’s a challenging role but I really enjoy it because I love a challenge … but it’s the interpretation that I find fascinating. She’s a 16 year old girl – that can be challenging. To get ready for the role, it’s not only rehearsing every single day, putting in all your effort into it, but also really embracing the character, really feeling like you are the character, that you are a 16-year-old-girl.”
Piñera’s focus is also very much on her audience. “When it comes to being on stage my main preoccupation is to make sure that the audience sees it as an easy role,” she comments. “I want to make sure that the audience thinks it’s just so flawless that it seems easy, even though it isn’t.”
Piñera names the first act as the most challenging, but also her favourite part of the ballet because of the complexity of the work, in particular the Rose Adagio. “I love it but that love comes with the hard work that I have to put into it,” she reflects. “I look forward to doing it because I find myself inside that place that makes me want to dance. The reason I dance is that those challenges fire my imagination.”
And Piñera’s tips for Aurora hopefuls? “Of course you have to work really hard at rehearsals. It’s a magical role. Every dancer who loves classical ballet, their dream is to dance Aurora. When it comes to working hard, it’s also important to enjoy it. When you are enjoying the role, there is something else that comes with it, that magic thing, that smile, that shine in your eyes… that’s something I would recommend to anyone who wants to dance the role of Aurora.”
The Queensland Ballet's Sleeping Beauty is presently playing at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC.
This article is an extract from a feature in the current Oct/Nov issue of Dance Australia. To read more from Lucinda Dunn, Amber Scott and Lana Jones, buy your copy from your favourite retail outlet or download our free app to purchase a copy HERE.