A Dance of Two Worlds: Indigenous Storytelling in The Sleeping Beauty
Photo Credit: Angela Sterling
When The Sleeping Beauty debuted in St. Petersburg 135 years ago, the ballet’s depiction of a land and dynasty in crisis reflected the cultural and political turmoil of 19th-century Russia. Even Tchaikovsky’s composition, which broke Eastern classical norms, and his collaboration with French choreographer Marius Petipa proved controversial.
Since Tchaikovsky’s death in 1893, The Sleeping Beauty has become one of the most famed ballets of all time.
The ballet’s existential themes have resonated through time and space. This season, the Pacific Northwest Ballet – with Artistic Director Peter Boal at the helm – reimagines the enduring classic through a lens of coastal Pacific Northwest nature, art, and culture.
Tragedy strikes the royal Papillon family when they fail to invite Carabosse, an easily angered fairy, to the celebration of their long-awaited firstborn child. The baby Aurora was destined to ensure the family’s legacy until Carabosse cursed her to prick her finger on a spindle and die on her 20th birthday.
But a gift from the benevolent Lilac Fairy spares Princess Aurora’s life, instead plunging the golden realm of monarch butterflies into a hundred-year slumber. As serpentine vines take over, the sleeping beauty Aurora lures a prince to brave the darkness and break the curse, with the help of the Lilac Fairy.
Glass artist Preston Singletary, whose sculptures explore the relationship between Tlingit culture and fine art, makes his debut as scenic designer in The Sleeping Beauty. He worked with associate scenic designer Charlene Hall to dream up the Eagle Staircase, the production’s main scenic element.
At Singletary’s suggestion, The Sleeping Beauty weaves in Tlingit characters, symbols, and themes. The ballet’s two fantastical West Coast realms – the eagle realm of goodness and light, and the raven realm of darkness and trickery – represent iconic characters in Tlingit storytelling.
Renowned costume designer Paul Tazewell (Hamilton, Wicked, Swan Lake) collaborated with Singletary to incorporate formlines, the signature design element of Indigenous art along the Northwest Coast, in nearly every costume.
While the production takes on modern and regional influence, Boal’s team used the original libretto penned in 1890 along with choreographic notes from Nikolai Sergeyev – one of Petipa’s rehearsal directors at the Imperial Ballet (1903–1906).
To reflect the 19th-century conception, Aurora is 20 years old in this production, and the King and Queen encourage her to marry for love. In sleep, she beckons Prince Désiré with her beauty to break the 100-year curse on her realm. Many 20th-century productions have cast her as a teen whose suitors are chosen for her – and in her passive slumber, she fulfills the damsel-in-distress archetype.
The original Aurora’s autonomy and heroine role, Stage Designer Doug Fullington writes in his production notes, will likely resonate more with today’s audience. This new production also brings nuance back to Carabosse’s character, who is often cast as a cold embodiment of evil.
In the Pacific Northwest, where the Indigenous people and natural world have endured decades of colonial suppression, reviving the heroine Aurora is a message of hope for this region. For some, it could reinvent what it means to live happily ever after.
The Sleeping Beauty world premiere is 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle. The show runs through Feb. 9.
Don’t miss:
• Artistic Director Peter Boal interviews Academy Award-nominated costume designer Paul Tazewell before an open dress rehearsal on Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. at McCaw Hall. $25 suggested donation.
• The Sleeping Beauty Community Day to celebrate the new production and the Southeast Alaskan Native and Seattle Urban Native communities. Includes live performances, an artists’ market, and a panel discussion. Feb. 2, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McCaw Hall.
• The Sleeping Beauty audio-described performance. Feb. 2 at 1 p.m. matinee. Tickets are $20, a discounted rate.
Follow the Pacific Northwest Ballet on Ode.
Since 1972, Pacific Northwest Ballet has become one of the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the United States. In 2005, Peter Boal became artistic director, succeeding Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, artistic directors since 1977. Each year, the Company of nearly 50 dancers presents more than 100 performances of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle and on tour. The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, and throughout the United States, with celebrated appearances at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Massachusetts, as well as New York City and Washington, D.C.
Since Tchaikovsky’s death in 1893, The Sleeping Beauty has become one of the most famed ballets of all time.
The ballet’s existential themes have resonated through time and space. This season, the Pacific Northwest Ballet – with Artistic Director Peter Boal at the helm – reimagines the enduring classic through a lens of coastal Pacific Northwest nature, art, and culture.
Tragedy strikes the royal Papillon family when they fail to invite Carabosse, an easily angered fairy, to the celebration of their long-awaited firstborn child. The baby Aurora was destined to ensure the family’s legacy until Carabosse cursed her to prick her finger on a spindle and die on her 20th birthday.
But a gift from the benevolent Lilac Fairy spares Princess Aurora’s life, instead plunging the golden realm of monarch butterflies into a hundred-year slumber. As serpentine vines take over, the sleeping beauty Aurora lures a prince to brave the darkness and break the curse, with the help of the Lilac Fairy.
Glass artist Preston Singletary, whose sculptures explore the relationship between Tlingit culture and fine art, makes his debut as scenic designer in The Sleeping Beauty. He worked with associate scenic designer Charlene Hall to dream up the Eagle Staircase, the production’s main scenic element.
At Singletary’s suggestion, The Sleeping Beauty weaves in Tlingit characters, symbols, and themes. The ballet’s two fantastical West Coast realms – the eagle realm of goodness and light, and the raven realm of darkness and trickery – represent iconic characters in Tlingit storytelling.
Renowned costume designer Paul Tazewell (Hamilton, Wicked, Swan Lake) collaborated with Singletary to incorporate formlines, the signature design element of Indigenous art along the Northwest Coast, in nearly every costume.
While the production takes on modern and regional influence, Boal’s team used the original libretto penned in 1890 along with choreographic notes from Nikolai Sergeyev – one of Petipa’s rehearsal directors at the Imperial Ballet (1903–1906).
To reflect the 19th-century conception, Aurora is 20 years old in this production, and the King and Queen encourage her to marry for love. In sleep, she beckons Prince Désiré with her beauty to break the 100-year curse on her realm. Many 20th-century productions have cast her as a teen whose suitors are chosen for her – and in her passive slumber, she fulfills the damsel-in-distress archetype.
The original Aurora’s autonomy and heroine role, Stage Designer Doug Fullington writes in his production notes, will likely resonate more with today’s audience. This new production also brings nuance back to Carabosse’s character, who is often cast as a cold embodiment of evil.
In the Pacific Northwest, where the Indigenous people and natural world have endured decades of colonial suppression, reviving the heroine Aurora is a message of hope for this region. For some, it could reinvent what it means to live happily ever after.
The Sleeping Beauty world premiere is 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle. The show runs through Feb. 9.
Don’t miss:
• Artistic Director Peter Boal interviews Academy Award-nominated costume designer Paul Tazewell before an open dress rehearsal on Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. at McCaw Hall. $25 suggested donation.
• The Sleeping Beauty Community Day to celebrate the new production and the Southeast Alaskan Native and Seattle Urban Native communities. Includes live performances, an artists’ market, and a panel discussion. Feb. 2, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McCaw Hall.
• The Sleeping Beauty audio-described performance. Feb. 2 at 1 p.m. matinee. Tickets are $20, a discounted rate.
Follow the Pacific Northwest Ballet on Ode.
Since 1972, Pacific Northwest Ballet has become one of the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the United States. In 2005, Peter Boal became artistic director, succeeding Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, artistic directors since 1977. Each year, the Company of nearly 50 dancers presents more than 100 performances of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle and on tour. The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, and throughout the United States, with celebrated appearances at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Massachusetts, as well as New York City and Washington, D.C.
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