HK Ballet’s Excellent New Sleeping Beauty
The Hong Kong Ballet’s final programme of the current season is the premiere of a new production of “The Sleeping Beauty”. It is produced by the renowned international star Vladimir Malakhov, who had also staged his production of “La Bayadere” for the company in 2023.
Each spring the Hong Kong Ballet invites a few guest stars to feature in its engagement at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre to boost the box office. This year is no exception. Maia Makhateli, a principal of the Dutch National Ballet, and Davi Ramos, a principal of the Australian Ballet appeared last weekend in different performances.
Premiered in St. Petersburg in 1890, Marius Petipa’s three-act ballet “The Sleeping Beauty” with music by Tchaikovsky, is one of the greatest 19th century classics and arguably the most classically pure. Malakhov’s production is a streamlined version lasting for just over 2 ½ hours with only one interval separating Acts 1 and 2. The interval comes after the Princess Aurora has prickled her finger and dies.
Act 2 unfortunately is heavily cut, omitting entirely the hunting party with the Prince, the countess and his entourage. The Prince hardly has enough time after his abrupt entrance to establish his character before being shown a vision of Aurora by the Lilac Fairy. There is no solo for Aurora in this act, and the lovely music of the journey to the palace is cut. The awakening scene is consequently too rushed.
Malakhov’s choreography is based on Petipa’s original 1890 text. The jewels dance in Act 3 is familiar from Soviet versions of this ballet. Malakhov’s own choreography for the Prince’s solo in Act 2 and the Garland Dance in Act 1 is good. And he adds a surprise towards the end which catches the audience unawares. The evil fairy Carabosse unexpectedly appears towards the end of the wedding scene making one last attempt to disrupt the wedding, but is quickly stopped by the Lilac Fairy.
The opening night was a triumph. Ye Feifei, the company’s top ballerina, was splendid as Princess Aurora. Ye clearly differentiated each of the three acts. In Act 1 she impressed in the famous Rose Adagio. Her solo was full of delicacy and grace.
In Act 2 as the vision, she was most expressive. In the Act 3 wedding scene, she had dignity. In the grand pas de deux, the fish-dives were spectacular. In her solo, she inbued every step with truth and warmth. Ye is now at the peak of her career, and I savour all her recent performances.
Davi Ramos was her Prince. He was technically dazzling, but his characterisation was dull. Far better was Hong Kong Ballet’s own principal, Ryo Kato, on the second night. He was impressive in virtuosity, and his acting was convincing.
Kato partnered Maia Makhateli. Makhateli’s was exquisite as Aurora. In Act 1, her dancing was full of joy. Her technique was formidable; her solo was impeccably danced. And in the final Act 3, she was glorious in the grand pas de deux and sparkled brightly in her solo.
How rewarding it was to see two such outstanding performances of Aurora last weekend. Wang Qingxin was superb as the benevolent Lilac Fairy. Malakhov himself danced the evil fairy Carabosse. It was a stellar and unforgettable performance. Albert Gordon impressed as the Blue Bird. The company generally danced with more enthusiasm than polish which will no doubt come with the further performances this coming weekend.
Jordi Roig’s designs are lavish and tasteful. The magnificent set depicting the palace is in the Rococo style. The costumes are colourful, though occasionally too garish. The bright red costume for Malakhov as Carabosse is certainly eye-catching. The costumes for the nymphs in the Act 2 vision scene are however too fussy, and the gold costume for the King is too gaudy. Roig has just won this year’s Petipa Award for ‘outstanding contribution to the visual language of ballet’.
The Kong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra performed beautifully Tchaikovsky’s score under the baton of Robert Reimer. This week’s performances will feature two more guest dancers – Elizaveta Kokoreva from the Bolshoi Ballet, and Tirion Law from the National Ballet of Canada.
Photo – by Chen Yilu
Dancers – Ye Feifei & Davi Ramos
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