There will be a fairytale atmosphere at the Teatro Costanzi this February. The Sleeping Beauty, one of the most famous ballet of the classical repertoire, will be on stage from 8 to 15 February 2017. The Orchestra of the Teatro dell’Opera will play Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece under the direction of David Coleman, in rotation with Carlo Donadio. After the performances of Swan Lake in September, the recent stage production of The Nutcracker, and the addition of The Sleeping Beauty to its repertoire, the Teatro dell’Opera of Rome rounds out the Russian composer’s trilogy.
The Sleeping Beauty, based on the story by Charles Perrault, is the second in order of time, but no doubt the first of the three ballets in terms of success. Since its premiere (St. Petersburg, January 1, 1890) it has not stopped entertaining children and adults. While in recent years it was choreographed by Paul Chalmer, this time this ballet returns to the Teatro Costanzi in a new choreographic version signed by Jean-Guillaume Bart. Born in 1972, Bart is emotionally attached to this ballet because, after he performed the Prince’s role in The Sleeping Beauty by Nureyev in the year 2000, he was appointed étoile of the Paris Opera. Since he stopped dancing professionally in 2008, he entirely devoted his artistic life to the activity of choreographer, a career he had already started as early as 1997.
He strongly believes in the importance of classical style, careful as he is to the aesthetic aspects of movements, which he always makes sure are coherent with the role played by the dancer in the ballet. The magic atmospheres of the fairy tale is guaranteed: pages, fairies, knights, courtiers, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses, precious stones and animals from the realm of fantasy are wonderfully interpreted by the dancers. For the occasion on the stage there are two special guests: Vito Mazzeo and Iana Salenko. The Ukrainian dancer plays the role of the beautiful and innocent Princess Aurora, brought back to life by the kiss of a mysterious prince, after one hundred years of deep sleep…
“Music is always the starting point of my creations – says Jean-Guillaume Bart – I often could be mistaken for a traditionalist because there is nothing original in it, but in the classic ballet it is important to coordinate actions, elaborate combinations and compose sequences; I can definitely make this my personal contribution”
