The Sleeping Beauty at Cork Opera House

To celebrate the centenary celebrations of one of the most iconic figures of ballet in Ireland - Joan Denise Moriarty, Cork City Ballet presents Tchaikovskys The Sleeping Beauty for the companys Winter Season at the Cork Opera House, November 22nd  24th at 8 pm, with a matinee on Saturday at 2.30 pm. After Cork, the company will tour to the Wexford Opera House for one performance only on Sunday 25th November at 8 pm.

The Sleeping Beauty reawakens the magic of the worlds favourite fairy tale in an enchanted world of castles and curses, forests and fairies.

Once upon a time, in land far, far away, Princess Aurora lived in a castle where fairies bestowed her with gifts of joy, wit, generosity, temperament, purity and of course beauty. However the wicked Fairy Carabosse put a curse on Aurora; to prick her finger and die on her 16th birthday. But the Lilac Fairy cast a spell putting her to sleep for a hundred years, only to be awoken by the kiss of a Prince.

The leading role of Princess Aurora will be danced by Russian ballet star Elena Evseeva from the Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Directed by the Cork City Ballets Artistic Director Alan Foley, this production of The Sleeping Beauty will be reproduced for the company by Yury Demakov, who trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow, and promises to enthral audiences with the original choreography of Marius Petipa, combined with stunning costumes made at the world-famous Kirov theatre.

Patricia Crosbie makes a welcome return as the Queen, along with soloists and a full corps de ballet from Cork City Ballet.

Speaking at the recent launch of this production, Artistic Director Alan Foley said, "I am delighted that The Sleeping Beauty, with its beautiful score, and magnificent choreography is in the repertoire for 2012 celebrating Joan Denise Moriartys Centenary. We at Cork City Ballet are very proud to continue the legacy of this remarkable woman from Cork city.