By Elizabeth Kramer for Courier-Journal
April 8, 2017
The Louisville Ballet’s production of “The Sleeping Beauty” that opened Friday at the Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall was awash in opulent beauty – from lavish sets by Alun Jones to costumes by Jones and Peter Farmer.
Even the Louisville Orchestra, led by conductor Leif Bjaland, added the required sugar to the fairy tale through playing Tchaikovsky’s lush score.
This classical ballet, with a large cast and choreography by Jones, is based on the original by Marius Petipa created in 1890. Its story is told through pantomime and dance, which had a bedazzling effect with all its regalia worn by the regal court.
With a large cast, the company also used all the 26 company dancers and 15 trainee dancers who told this fairy tale with flair, particularly many of the fairies who welcomed the newborn princess in the prologue. It also includes several small children as pages attending the royal court, which set a majestic tone for the production.