Queensland Ballet: Sleeping Beauty

Queensland Ballet: Sleeping Beauty -
Optus Playhouse, 7 December -

It is three years since Queensland Ballet (QB) last performed Francois Klaus’ version of Sleeping Beauty in Brisbane (ten years since its premiere), and this season, Klaus’ last as Artistic Director, confirms how much the company has matured in the intervening years.

This Sleeping Beauty eschews much of the ostentatious grandeur one associates with many major company productions; instead Klaus has wisely ‘cut his coat to suit the cloth.’ While still retaining much of the more relevant Petipa choreography and therefore most of the ballet’s technical and stylistic challenges, he embodies the fairy tale romance of the prince and princess within the more eternal conflict between good and evil, (apparently a central concept underpinning Tchaikovsky’s score), delivering a three-act condensation that tells the story economically and expressively.

The first act (Prologue) thematically anchors the ballet using the overture for a confrontation between Carabosse (Eleanor Freeman) and the Lilac Fairy (Clare Morehen), followed by another short contextualising scene where King Florimund (Gareth Belling) and the Queen (Kathleen Doody) see a vision of the Lilac Fairy promising them a longed-for child. The act concludes with the christening of Aurora, with the familiar grand adagio of the fairies and their cavaliers, as well as the fairy variations faithfully recreated and performed by all dancers with technical assuredness and the true Petipa elegance of style.

In the first cast, Morehen was a serenely benevolent Lilac Fairy, her beautiful long line suiting her well to the role, while Freeman excelled as Carabosse, with a dynamic, razor-sharp athleticism that exuded malevolence. Michael Braun, returning to QB as a guest, delivered a solid and engaging performance as Catalabutte.

A longish scene showing a younger Aurora (the talented Bianca Scudamore from QB’s Junior Extension Program) at her dance lesson segues fluidly into the familiar act of Aurora’s sixteenth birthday. Here Meng Ningning created a shy, but charming Aurora; she had a beautiful style, albeit at times a little forced. In the Rose Adagio we got an assured, but not scintillating performance.

Meng was more relaxed in the romantically styled vision scene, beautifully realised by Klaus, with an equally strong female corps de ballet. Piran Scott looked every bit the romantic Prince Désiré, and carried the role with aplomb throughout, although some of his jumps could have landed more softly.

The final wedding scene of this third act is a riot of vibrant blues and rich reds in the set and costuming.  Both Scott and Meng made elegant work of the Grand Pas de Deux, in spite of some timing issues, while the Bluebird pas de deux is the only other divertissement. Here Gemma Pearce gave a crisp, bright performance and Michael Braun nailed the technical challenges of his solo, although his upper body and arms at times needed more control.

Forgoing the usual triumphant grand finale, Klaus brings the ballet to a more poetic and dream-like end as the Lilac Fairy gives the Prince and Aurora her blessing. Stylistically it neatly brings the work full-circle.

Andrew Mogrella capably led the Queensland Symphony Orchestra throughout, although in this first cast (not opening night) performance, it was at a somewhat sluggish pace. This contributed to an overall lack of vitality from the dancers, particularly in the first half of the ballet.

A subsequent matinee was at a much brisker pace, the company sparkling and energised in what was generally a much more exciting performance. In this third casting Lisa Edwards was a commanding, but warmly charismatic Lilac Fairy, with a beautiful back and arm line, while Gemma Pearce, quite radiant as Aurora, and with a steely technique, dazzled in her Rose Adagio balances. Terri Crilly also gave a crisp performance as Princess Florine in a much more up-tempo Bluebird pas de deux.

This season several dancers, including soloists and principals, were off due to injury, putting pressure on the whole company, with soloist roles reassigned and vacant corps de ballet places filled by Professional Year and Queensland Dance School of Excellence students. It is an indication of the depth of talent cultivated by Klaus and Artistic Associate Robyn White, which is now evident in the company and in its training programs that major adjustments like these are now possible.

- DENISE RICHARDSON

Sleeping Beauty runs until 19 December

Top photo:  Meng Ningning as Aurora. Photo: Christian Aas.