Who will awaken the beautiful Princess Aurora from her 100-year sleep?

Stavanger Concert Hall invites you into a magical world swirling with brilliant waltzes, performed by the Classical Ukrainian Ballet Etoile. Thanks to Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music and Marius Petipa’s masterful choreography, Charles Perrault’s “fairy tale” has become a gem of classical ballet – a timeless poem about the battle between good and evil.

Sleeping Beauty is a harmonious blend of exquisite music, virtuosic choreography, a captivating story, and visual splendour, making it one of the most popular and beloved ballets in the world.

Synopsis:
The evil fairy Carabosse curses Princess Aurora, predicting she will die from a spindle prick on her sixteenth birthday. The good Lilac Fairy softens the curse: Aurora will not die, but sleep for one hundred years, and only a kiss from a prince can awaken her. Aurora falls asleep, along with the entire kingdom. One hundred years later, Prince Désiré, guided by the Lilac Fairy, finds and awakens her with a kiss. The curse is broken, and the lovers celebrate their wedding.

This ballet demands a high level of technical skill from the dancers, with complex steps, jumps, pirouettes, and lifts. Especially famous are the Lilac Fairy’s dance, the waltz, the pas de deux of Aurora and Prince Désiré, and Aurora’s variation in the first act, requiring both virtuosity and lightness from the soloists.

The classical choreography by Marius Petipa will be performed by the Classical Ukrainian Etoile Ballet – founded in Kyiv by Irina and Anatoliy Khandazhevsky, soloists from the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theatre. The cast includes professional dancers – winners of international ballet competitions, honoured artists of Ukraine, and soloists from Ukrainian and, since February 2022, European theatres. Productions feature authentic, hand-made costumes and sets, with a professional theatre lighting designer creating an unforgettable atmosphere. The music is presented in a high-quality recording by the Kharkiv Opera Orchestra. This is a unique opportunity to experience world-class classical ballet.

Principal Dancers:
• Irina Khandazhevskaya – Prima Ballerina, honoured artist of Ukraine, Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theatre soloist, choreographer, international award winner.
• Anatoliy Khandazhevsky – Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theatre soloist, choreographer, prize-winner at international competitions.
• Maria Shupilova – soloist, Kyiv Opera.
• Kristina Kadashevich – leading soloist, Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theatre, international competition winner.
• Katerina Andrenko – soloist, Odessa National Opera, Hamburg Chamber Ballet, Opera Poznań.
• Dmitry Lazovik – soloist, Belarusian State Academic Musical Theatre, international competition winner.
• Vsevolod Maievskyi – soloist, English National Ballet, formerly Mariinsky Ballet.
• Larisa Hrytsay – soloist, Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theatre, Odessa National Opera.

The tour is presented by the Norwegian organisation Kultur for Folket in support of Ukrainian classical ballet and artists who are unable to perform in their homeland. The tour takes place in November and December in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes, including interval
Organiser: Kultur for folket AS