 | | Vienna Festival Ballet dancers |
In ballet, the movements of the dancers and their ability to dramatise without speaking is always breathtaking. Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty is no exception; the Vienna Festival Ballet told the famous fairy-tale perfectly without needing to say a word. | "Carabosse’s attendants were not helped by the fact that they were having to perform their moves in extremely cumbersome costumes" | |
The lead dancer (Sleeping Beauty herself – Princess Aurora to her friends) performed her role magnificently. Ryoko Yagyu was a young dancer and one might think that giving her a leading part would have been a risk for the company but she rose, leapt and spun brilliantly to the occasion. The character parts were equally enjoyable. The hapless herald (Catalabutte, played by Jerome Peytour) had forgotten to invite the wicked fairy. He was brilliant, and the embarrassment that he showed at his error was beautifully danced and highly amusing to watch. The most entertaining dancer of the night, however, was the wicked fairy herself (Carabosse, played by Patrycja Lauria). She proved once more that the baddies get all the best moments. Her arrival – annoyed at being left out of the invitations to the christening of Aurora – was tremendous, and she continued to be impressive throughout the show.
 | | After a long sleep, a good stretch is essential! |
Carabosse’s attendants (Richard Read and Gledis Tase), were also great fun to watch. Ballet dancers inevitably produce incredible movements and impeccable timing, and the attendants were outstanding at doing this. Carabosse’s attendants were not helped by the fact that they were having to perform their moves in extremely cumbersome costumes. This will not have made the high kicks any easier to do – but they were done anyway, and it was impossible to criticise their dancing. The only criticism that could be levelled at the Vienna Festival Ballet’s production of Sleeping Beauty would be that it was a very long performance, at more than three hours long. The performance ended just after 10.15pm, which was a little much for a number of the young ballet enthusiasts who had come to watch. This is a shame, because there was a lot to marvel at; the young dancers, never missing a step, the telling of a story without using words and – of course – the baddie! The use of easily recognisable fairy-tale characters (Red Riding Hood with the Wolf and Puss In Boots with the White Cat, among others) during this final act was an inspired idea. It kept the younger members of the audience watching, even though it was well past their bed-time! Robin Lewis | 
