My 11-year-old loved the "sassy teenager" moment in Pacific Northwest Ballet's "The Sleeping Beauty."
"The queen tried to take away the spindle, and Aurora gave her a look like, 'I don't think so, Mom,' and kept on dancing. … She regretted that later." (After the spindle pricked her finger, sending the princess into the 100-year sleep foretold by a curse put on her at birth.)
So you see, it's the traditional "Sleeping Beauty" tale made familiar to millions by the Disney movie. But this version has a beautiful musical score, spectacular costumes, sets and effects — and stunning feats of dance.
Is it a good fit for your princess-loving child? They would need to have a decent attention span and the ability to not fidget. The setup of this production will help: It's divided into four parts, a prelude and three acts, separated by three, 15-minute intermissions. So three chances to stretch your legs, brave the bathroom lines or maybe grab a snack. They go by quickly, though.
And remember: There is no speaking. The story is told entirely through dance. And sometimes the emphasis is on the dance, not the story. My almost-teen's assessment of Act II: "That seemed to take a lot longer than it needed to." Well, yes, there was a lot of dancing before the Prince found Aurora's forest resting place.
She was enthralled, though, by the dancers' ability to balance en pointe. Here's a cool, behind-the-scenes, "How do they do that?" story and video.
A budding dancer or child who loves a fancy occasion will probably be enthralled. People clearly love the ballet, and it makes for a fun, fancy night out. I don't think I've ever seen so many stilettos in Seattle! A fair amount of sparkles, too.
The show runs through Sunday, Feb. 10, at McCaw Hall at Seattle Center. Here are details on performance times and tickets. And PNB's website has this section full of tips for attending with kids.
Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Lesley Rausch as the Princess Aurora in Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Angela Sterling
