‘The Sleeping Beauty’ — Choreography by Marius Petipa, with additional choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Set and Costumes by David Walker. Staging by Ninette de Valois. Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker. With the Boston Ballet Orchestra conducted by Mischa Santora. Presented by Boston Ballet at Citizens Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston through June 7.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Boston Ballet raised the barre in the 2025-2026 season with a program packed with resonance, emotion and a perfect blend of the contemporary and classical that displayed the company’s first-class talent and its versatility. From George Balanchine’s iconic triptych, “Jewels,” to the contemporary showcase, “Winter Experience,” and the dazzling Lisa Cirio/William Forsyth/Jerome Robbins program, “Spring Experience,” Boston Ballet seemed to awe and enchant without limit.
Add in the classics “The Nutcracker,” “Coppelia” and “The Sleeping Beauty,” and Boston dance fans had every reason to rejoice.
Its closing production, “The Sleeping Beauty,” is the perfect finale. Set to Tchaikovsky’s famous The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, the orchestra’s sweeping prologue before curtain rising foreshadows an evening of elegance and multi-sensorial beauty. (A rare complaint is that the orchestra could have been louder and more robust). When the curtain does rise, the set and costumes (David Walker) take the audience’s breath away. Like a Cluny tapestry suddenly come to life, the large ensemble morphs from tableau to animated storytelling.
Even those only familiar with the fairy tale (and 1959 classic Disney film) would find the ballet version enchanting. “The Christening” introduces King Florestan (Alexander Nicolosi) and his Queen (Lauren Herfindahl), who have invited the Fairies to the christening of their infant, Aurora. Unfortunately, Master of Ceremonies Catalabutte (Lawrence Rines Munro last Thursday) forgot to invite the “bad” Fairy Carabosse (an expressive, barnstorming María Álvarez). She shows up with flourish and flashes of lightning and black smoke, accompanied by her creepy, creeping entourage. With malevolent glee, she bestows her gift to baby Aurora — on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger and die.
Luckily, the Lilac Fairy (Lia Cirio, very good) hasn’t yet bestowed her gift. She softens Carabosse’s curse by dialing it back; Aurora will not die, but will sleep for 100 years (as will the entire kingdom), to be awakened by the kiss of a charming prince. Just to play it safe, the King banishes all spindles from the kingdom.
Act I (“The Spell”) opens with a Garland dance, a gorgeous introduction to the celebration of Aurora’s (a truly magnificent Viktorina Kapitonova) sixteenth birthday. She is in the midst of flirting with four courting suitors when an old woman approaches her with a gift (you guessed it- a spindle). Aurora dances coquettishly with her present and pricks her finger. The old woman reveals herself as Carabosse (Álvarez is riveting) and reminds all of the mortal curse she cast. The Lilac Fairy comes to the rescue, softening it as promised.
Act II opens 100 years later in the overgrown forest where Prince Desire (Sangmin Lee) hunts with his court. The Lilac Fairy seizes the opportunity and shows him a vision of Aurora, still asleep. Desire is smitten. Lilac manages to evade Carabosse’s attempt at sabotage and brings Desire to Aurora, where he wakes her with a kiss and breaks the spell.
By Act III (and after two intermissions), the audience is in need of just the entertaining diversion “The Wedding” provides. Kapitonova is luminescent as Aurora, floating through her solo variations. The guest list includes many fairytale characters, and they all have their moment in the limelight.
As the White Cat who shamelessly carries on with Puss in Boots (Tyson Ali Clark), Emily Aston is as charming as she is emotive; the audience can’t get enough of her and her coquettishness. Little Red Riding Hood (Abigail Merlis) and the Wolf (SeokJoo Kim) bring a smile and welcome digression.
The real standouts, however (other than Kapitonova), are Chisako Oga as Princess Florine and Yue Shi as Bluebird. Oga is feather-light as she flits in her breathtaking bejeweled costume; Shi is clearly there as support for Oga’s stunning performance.
Although long, the exquisite dancing, sumptuous costumes and technical expertise of the dancers doesn’t waver. The staging alone (Ninette de Valois) is worth the price of admission, as are the ensemble’s costumes and dances as fairy attendees, garland dancers, hunting party, peasants, nymphs and mazurka dancers.
I can’t remember a more exciting season than Boston Ballet’s 2025-2026, and can’t wait to see what it has in store for us in 2026-2027.
For more information, visit bostonballet.org.
