Washington Ballet Presents THE SLEEPING BEAUTY at The Kennedy Center Next Month

The Washington Ballet presents its full-length production of the iconic ballet The Sleeping Beauty May 4-7, 2023, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Set to Tchaikovsky's enchanting score, this fairy tale is about the power of true love, how good conquers evil, and life over death through the beauty of classical dance. The story comes to life with Princess Aurora, her dashing Prince Désiré, and other quintessential storybook characters.  

"The Sleeping Beauty  remains one of the most beautiful and fully-realized ballets of the classical repertoire," said Dr. Natalie Rouland, ballet historian and The Washington Ballet's Scholar-in-Residence. "The fairytale story is enchanting, romantic, and redeeming. The music by Tchaikovsky is symphonic, inspiring, and transporting. The sets and costumes are sumptuous, dazzling, and spectacular. And the choreography is brilliant, breathtaking, and divine."

The company's 2019 production received enthusiastic accolades from international dance critics praising, "One beautifully detailed scene after another, massive, sumptuous costumes; The Washington Ballet's first production of "The Sleeping Beauty" is every bit the show of refinement it was destined to be." (Sarah Kaufman, The Washington Post). "This Beauty proved an absorbing and handsomely crafted spectacle, with plenty of charm and wit." (Dance Tabs) and "Certainly I think this is already one of the world's finer "Sleeping Beauty" productions." (Alastair Macaulay).

More than the fanciful storytelling, this ballet requires technical and artistic challenges for dancers and the demanding choreography that defines their roles. The famous Rose Adagio in Act 1 is a hallmark achievement for any ballerina and continues to thrill audiences with dramatic partnering that commands strength, balance, and technical virtuosity. 

Julie Kent and Victor Barbee have tailor-fit their production in size and scale for The Washington Ballet. Together they bring decades of personal experience, knowledge and expertise to The Sleeping Beauty having worked directly with leading historians, choreographers, repétitéurs and ballet greats as well as Dr. Natalie Rouland. While their staging is influenced by the original Stepanov notation of the 1890 version by Marius Petipa, they also provide additional choreography, emphasizing tempo, style, and dynamic energy.  "We respect the great history of this beautiful ballet but also strive to curate a production with an eye for today's audience; accurate and fast paced," said Victor Barbee. "I think our audiences will fall in love with the dancing, the rich costumes, and the story, just as we have. It is a beautiful and compelling production for all ages and our gift to building the repertoire of the company." 

This is a limited opportunity for DC audiences to experience the full breath and vision of one of the world's most famous ballets under the direction of Julie Kent, Artistic Director and Victor Barbee, Associate Artistic Director as the final performance of the 2022-2023 season.

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