BWW Reviews: Matthew Bourne's SLEEPING BEAUTY Ballet Enchants at the Kennedy Center

Halloween may be over, but Matthew Bourne's ballet production of Sleeping Beauty at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center will satisfy the tastes of anyone who enjoys vampires and Gothic storytelling.

The timeless fairy tale, about a young girl cursed to sleep for one hundred years, was turned into a legendary ballet by Tchaikovsky and choreographer Marius Petipa in 1890. Bourne takes this date as his starting point, setting the christening of Aurora, the story's heroine, in the year of the ballet's first performance.

As Aurora grows into a young woman, we move forward in time, finally reaching a modern era when the one hundred years have passed. The plot is essentially the same as it has always been, but the costumes and staging are unique and ornate, a treat for the eyes. If you enjoyed the ballet years ago, this will be a new and fresh experience, and if you think the ballet isn't for you, you just might want to give this dark and haunting production a chance.

Bourne, one of Britain's most popular dance showmen, works again with three of his regular collaborators, and New Adventures Associate Artists: The Tony and Olivier award winning designers Lez Brotherston (set and costumes) and Paule Constable (Lighting), and Sound Designer Paul Groothuis, who created the acclaimed surround-sound for last year's hit production of Cinderella.

The only thing not to like about this visual treat of a production is its short stay at the Kennedy Center, but tickets are still available, so visit www.kennedy-center.org or call 202-467-4600. The ballet runs Thursday, November 14 through Sunday, November 17, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

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