With the premiere of Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty) - Once Upon a Dream in a choreography by Belgian choreographer Jeroen Verbruggen, the Leipzig Ballet completes its Tchaikovsky fairytale trilogy, adding to The Nutcracker (Jean-Philippe Dury) and Swan Lake (Mario Schröder). The Leipzig Ballet now has all three of the Russian composer’s great story ballets, featuring three different choreographic signatures, in its repertoire.
Once upon a time there was a princess (Madoka Ishikawa) who fell asleep for a hundred years – until she was awoken by the kiss of a prince (Lou Thabart). Sleeping Beauty is one of the most well-known fairytales of all time. And in 1890, Peter Tchaikovsky chose it as the subject for his next ballet, one which he himself considered to be his very best. While the Brothers Grimm version became the most famous in Germany, the fairytale can trace its origins to France. For his choreographic premiere, Jeroen Verbruggen was inspired by Charles Perrault’s version from the late 17th century La Belle au bois dormant (The Sleeping Beauty in the Forest). Together with stage designer Chiara Stephenson and costume designer Charlie Le Mindu, Verbruggen succeeds in translating the fairytale’s fantastical magic into a modern and surreal visual language. A central role is played by the hundred year’s sleep: Once Upon a Dream. The choreography takes us into Sleeping Beauty’s dream world, in which the boundaries between fantasy and reality become ever more blurred. It goes ever deeper down into the psyche of a young girl on the threshold of adulthood, as she discovers the threatening but beautiful sides of love and sexuality, and works through conflict with her mother, who is driven by jealousy and envy.
Verbruggen’s interpretation breaks with the fairytale’s traditional gender stereotypes and tells a contemporary coming-of-age drama. In favor of sharpening and tightening of the story, minimal cuts were made to the score. Felix Bender conducts the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
Premiere: Friday, November 29, 7:30pm
Further Performances: December 1, 4, 5, 15 &19, 2019 / January 24 / March 27 & 28 / April 11 / May 1 & 3, 2020 (all performances with an introduction 45 minutes before curtain; in addition, audience discussions will take place after evening performances, with the exception of the premiere)
Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty) – Once Upon a Dream
Ballett by Jeroen Verbruggen | Music by Peter Tchaikovsky
Direction
Conductor Felix Bender
Choreography Jeroen Verbruggen
Stage Design Chiara Stephenson
Costume Design Charlie Le Mindu
Video Tina Alloncle
Lighting Design Fabiana Piccioli
Cast
Princess Madoka Ishikawa | Prince Lou Thabart | Fairy Laura Costa Chaud | Fairy Vivian Wang | Fairy Yun Kyeong Lee | Queen Fang Yi Liu | King Oliver Preiß | Alpha Wolf Carl van Godtsenhoven
Leipzig Ballet
Gewandhaus Orchestra
Once upon a time there was a princess (Madoka Ishikawa) who fell asleep for a hundred years – until she was awoken by the kiss of a prince (Lou Thabart). Sleeping Beauty is one of the most well-known fairytales of all time. And in 1890, Peter Tchaikovsky chose it as the subject for his next ballet, one which he himself considered to be his very best. While the Brothers Grimm version became the most famous in Germany, the fairytale can trace its origins to France. For his choreographic premiere, Jeroen Verbruggen was inspired by Charles Perrault’s version from the late 17th century La Belle au bois dormant (The Sleeping Beauty in the Forest). Together with stage designer Chiara Stephenson and costume designer Charlie Le Mindu, Verbruggen succeeds in translating the fairytale’s fantastical magic into a modern and surreal visual language. A central role is played by the hundred year’s sleep: Once Upon a Dream. The choreography takes us into Sleeping Beauty’s dream world, in which the boundaries between fantasy and reality become ever more blurred. It goes ever deeper down into the psyche of a young girl on the threshold of adulthood, as she discovers the threatening but beautiful sides of love and sexuality, and works through conflict with her mother, who is driven by jealousy and envy.
Verbruggen’s interpretation breaks with the fairytale’s traditional gender stereotypes and tells a contemporary coming-of-age drama. In favor of sharpening and tightening of the story, minimal cuts were made to the score. Felix Bender conducts the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
Premiere: Friday, November 29, 7:30pm
Further Performances: December 1, 4, 5, 15 &19, 2019 / January 24 / March 27 & 28 / April 11 / May 1 & 3, 2020 (all performances with an introduction 45 minutes before curtain; in addition, audience discussions will take place after evening performances, with the exception of the premiere)
Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty) – Once Upon a Dream
Ballett by Jeroen Verbruggen | Music by Peter Tchaikovsky
Direction
Conductor Felix Bender
Choreography Jeroen Verbruggen
Stage Design Chiara Stephenson
Costume Design Charlie Le Mindu
Video Tina Alloncle
Lighting Design Fabiana Piccioli
Cast
Princess Madoka Ishikawa | Prince Lou Thabart | Fairy Laura Costa Chaud | Fairy Vivian Wang | Fairy Yun Kyeong Lee | Queen Fang Yi Liu | King Oliver Preiß | Alpha Wolf Carl van Godtsenhoven
Leipzig Ballet
Gewandhaus Orchestra
