Moscow Festival Ballet Returns to Shawnee State University

Jan. 3, 2012

"Sleeping Beauty," one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time, comes alive on the stage of the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts performed by the Moscow Festival Ballet at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12.

The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 when legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet Sergei Radchenko sought to realize his vision of a company which would bring together the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies into an independent company within the framework of Russian classic ballet.

Under Radchenko's direction, leading dancers from across the Russias have created an exciting company, staging new productions of timeless classics such as "Giselle," "Don Quixote," "Paquita" and "Carmen" and, of course, "Sleeping Beauty."

Act I opens at Princess Aurora's 16th birthday party. Brightly clad peasant girls dance with flower garlands. Holding the arched garlands overhead, they dance in multiple circles, weaving in and out to a waltz tempo. All await the arrival of the Princess Aurora. The ballerina princess bursts on the scene, dancing a brief and vivacious solo in the manner of a carefree young girl. She is then ceremoniously introduced to the four princes who have come to seek her hand. The Rose Adagio, the famous pas d'action expressive of a young girl's blossoming into womanhood, is about to start.

In this classic tale, Princess Aurora falls into a deep sleep after being poisoned by an evil and jealous witch and she is awakened by a kiss from the handsome Prince Charming after 100 years – and the rest is history.

Tickets may be purchased by visiting the McKinley Box Office at Shawnee State University from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, online at Ticketmaster.com or any Ticketmaster Outlet, or by calling (740) 351-3600. Student and group discounts are available. For more information, visit www.sopaa.org. The ballet is sponsored in part by OSCO and WEMS.