The Australian Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty –
Melbourne Arts Centre, 15 September -
David McAllister's production of The Sleeping Beauty has been one of the more heavily marketed events in recent Australian Ballet history. Some of this publicity was misleading, claiming this was a Sleeping Beauty choreographed by McAllister. Thankfully, this version is heavily indebted to Petipa, with McAllister providing additional choreography mostly for the corps and in transitional passages, which is largely in keeping with the classicism of the original, though lacking the pure simplicity of Petipa's formal lines.
Any production that is as heavily hyped as this one necessarily creates its own standards by which it is to be judged, raising the bar higher. Did this Sleeping Beauty live up to expectation, the expectations it had itself created? The answer must be both yes and no. Judged as a spectacle, there was much to admire and marvel at, not least the magnificent tutus, a golden shower descending on the wedding scene, the ornate glass casket, the chandeliers that grow out of the darkness, heralding a court reminiscent of the Sun King. The sets and the costumes designed by Gabriela Tylesova were sumptuous throughout, a riot of colour and fantasy. Not here the classical restraint and refinement of taste, everything is over the top, outré - the flounces, the wigs, the brocades, the frills, beads and braids. One thing is for sure, this Beauty does not hold back visually, but goes all out to impress. Costumes and sets take precedence while the dancers themselves, their movements and lines, risk getting swallowed up and overwhelmed by the sheer profusion of riches on stage. In particular, those whose tastes tend toward the rococo and the ornate, will find much that is beautiful in this extravaganza. Others may find it overblown and bemoan the absence of the beauty of understatement and elegant restraint.
Apart from the passages of additional choreography, McAllister has borrowed elements from other versions and attempted to provide a back-story. For instance, the fairy tale characters from the third act supposedly refer to the Prince's fascination with them as a child. However, since the divertissements, with the exception of the Bluebird pas de deux, have been regrettably cut, this association is largely lost. The Sleeping Beauty does not so much need a back-story as it needs character development and a clear opposition of good and evil, and those aspects could have been stronger.
On the whole the company acquitted itself well in the demanding classical choreography. It was good to see lower leg extensions that allowed the focus to shift to the eyes, face, upper body and arms. Kevin Jackson as Prince Désiré stood out in particular for his rounded style, and the technical assurance and emotional coherence of his dancing. He had flow, dynamics and ease, with his first variation a highlight of the evening.
Lana Jones showed softness alongside technical control, growing in confidence as the Rose Adagio progressed and as Petipa's choreography implies, and adding her own phrasing and nuances to her solos. One caveat here and throughout: tempi tended to be so slow that the flow of the movement risked being fragmented.
Chengwu Guo made a superb Bluebird with his fabulous elevation with Ako Kondo complementing him in virtuosic dancing, though the fluttering arms of the Bluebird were omitted. The fairies were all a pleasure to watch, with Benedicte Bemet infectiously joyful as the Fairy of Musicality. Amber Scott's Lilac Fairy, all cool precision and control, had no trouble defeating Carabosse.
This Beauty is a lavish production in which sets and costumes come a clear first, the dancing second, while darker elements of the tale are glossed over in an enjoyable spectacular.
- Irina Kuzminsky
Photos: Jeff Busby. Click on thumbnails for captions.