Synopsis
The ballet opens with the prologue - the Christening of the Princess Aurora and includes the beautifully characterised solos for each of the Fairy Godmothers. Each one bestows a precious gift on the young baby, but before the most powerful fairy of all – The ‘Lilac Fairy’ - can present her gift the proceedings are rudely interrupted by the arrival of the evil fairy, Carabosse.
She has been forgotten and not sent an invitation, so is out for revenge! She curses Princess Aurora - the princess will grow up, prick her finger and then die! The ‘Lilac Fairy’ steps forward and announces that while she cannot prevent this curse she can change it - this is her gift to the child. She vows that when the princess does prick her finger, she will not die but will fall into a long, deep sleep from which she can only be woken by the kiss of a Prince!
Defeated, Carabosse scurries away determined to destroy Aurora and the ‘Lilac Fairy’.
Act 1 is sixteen years later, on the birthday and first public appearance of Princess Aurora. Crowds gather outside the Palace - amongst them a group of strange women (one of whom is Carabosse!) all busy knitting with the needles long banned in the country. They are arrested and the King orders their death - but the Queen pleads on their behalf that it is supposed to be a celebration for Aurora. The King relents and orders the release of the women.
The villagers perform a stirring waltz then the Princess Aurora arrives and dances for the gathering. Her ladies and friends then dance for her
The festivities are interrupted by the arrival of a stranger who offers the princess a spindle - she has never seen one before and happily dances with it, to the horror of the entire court. Suddenly she pricks her finger and falls to the ground! The mysterious stranger reveals herself as Carabosse and before fleeing, repeats the curse she made at the Christening!
The ‘Lilac Fairy’ appears and reminds the gathering of her promise that the Princess would not die but fall asleep. After the princess is carried away to her bedchamber, the ‘Lilac Fairy’ casts her spell over the whole palace. Everyone falls asleep and vines grow to hide and protect the enchanted castle.
Act 2 starts one hundred years later. Prince Florimund is in the forest with a party of hunters. He is restless and remains alone as the hunt moves on. The ‘Lilac Fairy’ appears to him and shows him a vision of Princess Aurora. He is fascinated and determined to find the beautiful Princess
The ‘Lilac Fairy’ leads him through the forest to the enchanted Palace where he finds Aurora and wakes her with a kiss. The rest of the palace then awake from their slumbers.
Act 3 is a celebration of the wedding of Aurora and Florimund with a delightful array of Fairy Tale characters entertaining the guests with their dancing. |
