Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Performing Arts Center will present the State Ballet Theatre of Russia in “Sleeping Beauty” Jan. 14-15 at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre.
Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky completed work on the score for “Sleeping Beauty” in 1889. It was the second of his three ballets, the first of which was “Swan Lake,” composed in 1876. He was commissioned by the director of Russia’s Imperial Theatre to create the score for his third ballet, “The Nutcracker,” following the success of “Sleeping Beauty.”
Tchaikovsky based his ballet on the Brothers Grimm’s version of Charles Perrault’s “La Belle au bois dormant.” “Sleeping Beauty” received its premiere on Jan. 15, 1890, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, with choreography by Marius Petipa. Today, it stands as one of the world’s most beloved and oft-performed ballets.
The State Ballet Theatre of Russia is based in the city of Ufa, hometown of legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. With a company of 60 dancers, the State Ballet Theatre’s production of “Sleeping Beauty” features detailed sets and costumes, along with authentic Russian choreography by Yury Grigorovich, the long-time artistic director of Moscow’s famed Bolshoi Ballet.
The Performing Arts Center will offer a pre-concert lecture at 7:15 both nights. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Tickets for “Sleeping Beauty” are $50-$60 with discounts for UGA students. Tickets can be purchased at the UGA Performing Arts Center box office, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400.
The performance underwriters are Dianne Ambrose, Janey M. Cooley, Virginia Mary Macagnoni and Christine L. Pavlak.
The Fine Arts Theatre is located on Baldwin Street at Lumpkin in the UGA Fine Arts Building.
