A classic tale, The Sleeping Beauty premieres at the Hungarian State Opera on 17 April, 2016. The new production is staged by internationally renowned choreographer Sir Peter Wright.
A magical fairy tale on the ballet stage danced to the wonderful music of Tchaikovsky, one of Russia's greatest composers. An outstanding piece from the Romantic repertoire, The Sleeping Beauty fuses together all the grace and virtuosity found in the greatest ballets. The extraordinary technical demands of Marius Petipa's original choreography, considered one of the high points of classical ballet, offers dance companies an opportunity to display their talents. The ballet features Sir Peter Wright's concept of Petipa's original ideas and stunning stage sets by Philip Prowse.
Sir Peter Wright CBE made his debut as a professional dancer with the Ballets Jooss during World War II and in the 1950s worked with several dance companies, including the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet, for which he created his first ballet A Blue Rose in 1957. During the 1960s he also established himself as a successful director of television ballets and choreographed various West End musicals and revues. He was awarded a knighthood in the 1993 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
The Hungarian National Ballet performs The Sleeping Beauty in four different cast with leading artists of the company in the main roles. While the production retains the tradition and evokes the first versions of this tale, the choreography is created to a contemporary taste as well. The eight performances are conducted by István Dénes and Kálmán Szennai.
