For our first Variation Workshop of the year we debuted a brand new new solo to our BalletBody repertoire, The Lilac Fairy from The Sleeping Beauty (1889).
Sleeping Beauty is one of the most iconic ballets of all time, and the Lilac Fairy is the second lead female role after that of Princess Aurora.
The ballet begins with a party thrown by the King and Queen to celebrate the christening of their daughter, Princess Aurora. Six fairies have been invited to bless the little princess with their gifts of grace, joy, generosity, musicality and temperament. The final gift of wisdom is brought by the most important and powerful of the fairies, the Lilac Fairy. Just as she is about to bestow her gift, Carabosse, the evil fairy makes an appearance. Furious because she was not invited to the party, Carabosse puts a curse on baby Aurora, declaring that on her 16th birthday she will prick her finger on a spindle and die.
As the Lilac Fairy was interrupted before she could impart her gift, she uses her power instead to alter Carabosse’s curse. She decrees that Aurora will not die on her 16th birthday, but rather fall asleep for 100 years, after which she will be woken by a kiss of true love from a handsome prince. The Lilac Fairy’s gentle yet authoritative presence is portrayed through the expansive and virtuosic movements of her variation, and the soaring music accompanying the solo embodies her compassion, regal stature and powerful feminine energy.
Our BalletBody dancers were dressed in (you guessed it) Lilac! And culminated the workshop with an in-studio performance for friends and family. Tutus, wings, and all kinds of fairy finery embellished the dancers as they faced the technical challenge of this beautiful role with grace and artistry.
‘This workshop was extra special because studio restrictions were relaxed and we could bring more than one guest. The nieces came along with N on the last day of their school break! Charly squealed when she heard it was Lilac Fairy only because it was her favourite colour!’
– Joanne Lee
Watch snippets of their final performance here.
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