Olympic Ballet Theatre brings ‘Sleeping Beauty’ to Edmonds, Everett
Published 6:28 pm Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Based on the Charles Perrault fairy tale, “The Sleeping Beauty” ballet has inspired many creative endeavors over the decades, including Disney’s classic animated movie.
But nothing compares with the ballet itself, one of the most famous in the classical repertoire. With music by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Marius Petipa, the lengthy ballet is a challenge for even the best-funded ballet companies.
Against the odds, the nonprofit, Edmonds-based Olympic Ballet Theatre, now in its 35th season, is presenting a full-length production of “The Sleeping Beauty” on April 3 at the Everett Performing Arts Center and on April 9 at Edmonds Center for the Arts.
Olympic’s artistic directors Mara Vinson and her husband Oleg Gorboulev, both former Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers, have been planning this production since they took over Olympic Ballet School five years ago.
Various foundations in the area have helped fund “The Sleeping Beauty,” Vinson said, which will involve 80 dancers, the work of 10 costumers, professionally made backdrops and sets, and several professional guest dancers.
“It’s a huge expenditure for us,” Vinson said. “But next time we present this ballet, it will be easier.”
Performing in Everett with Olympic’s corps de ballet and students will be Yuka Oba and Nicholas Schultz, a couple from the Grand Rapids Ballet in Michigan. At the Edmonds performance, the guest soloists will be Oksana Maslova, a soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia, and her husband Anton Kandaurov, who performed in March in New York’s Syracuse City Ballet production of “The Sleeping Beauty.” Other guest artists will include Frank Borg, formerly with Kansas City Ballet, and Uko Gorter, who danced with Vinson and Gorboulev at PNB.
“It is fun for me and for Oleg to have these people in the studio, and it’s great for our dancers,” Vinson said. “There’s a whole new energy in rehearsals when our guests show up.”
Olympic corps de ballet dancer Chessa Chalmers agreed.
“In the final rehearsals everyone rises to the challenge,” said Chalmers, 19, a Cascadia College graduate from Woodinville.
Chalmers and the other company dancers and the top-level Olympic Ballet students also have featured roles in the ballet, Vinson said.
Audiences can look forward to seeing character solos by Chalmers; Beatrix Paulay, 21; Nicole Moshinsky, 21, a Kamiak High School graduate; Lauren Zakahi, 19, of Mercer Island; twins Claire and Holly Christensen, 17, students at University Prep; Jennifer Chin, 17, a Lynnwood High student; Megan Robillard, 17, a Jackson High student; and Anne Mizukoshi, 18, who goes to Edmonds-Woodway High.
Tchaikovsky’s recurring musical themes help the audience follow the story of Aurora, whose royal parents invite the good fairies to bestow magical gifts on their newborn princess, including the promise that Aurora will someday marry. The evil fairy arrives, angry for being left off the invitation list, and declares that Princess Aurora will someday prick her finger with a spindle and die. Averting this tragedy, the good fairies promise that Aurora won’t die, but instead will fall into a deep sleep lasting 100 years and that a prince will awaken her with a kiss.
“It’s the classic battle between good and evil,” Vinson said.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
If you go
Olympic Ballet Theatre’s “The Sleeping Beauty”: 1 p.m. April 3, Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave.; and 7 p.m. April 9, Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N. For tickets, call 425-774-7570 or go to www.olympicballet.com. Cost is $37.50 general admission, $32.50 for seniors and students with ID, and $25 for children.
