'The Sleeping Beauty' at UPB

The Russian National Ballet Theater will perform the popular fairy tale “The Sleeping Beauty,” billed as one of the greatest accomplishments of classical ballet, on March 24 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

The ballet will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall. The performance is part of the University’s Season Subscription Series. Tickets are $29 and $24 for the public; $12 and $10 for all students.

The production will be staged in three acts by the 60-member company, which includes some of the best dancers in the world. Soloists are often between 17 to 25 years old.

Bringing such a high-caliber group with its arts and dance to Bradford has been a long time coming, said Randy Mayes, director of arts programming at Pitt-Bradford.
“We believed a traditional storybook ballet was the best way to reintroduce dance to the area,” he said. “The Russian National Ballet is a very highly regarded company with strong ties to both the Bolshoi and Kirov.”

The performance was choreographed by Marius Petipa, considered the father of Russian ballet.

Written by French author, Charles Perrault at the end of the 17th century, “The Sleeping Beauty” is centered on a young princess who is put into a deep sleep by an evil fairy and can only be awakened by the kiss of a prince.

“The Sleeping Beauty” debuted at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in January 1890. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed the music.

A version of the fairy tale, named “The Sleepy Princess,” was performed in London in 1921. The production’s popularity spread throughout Great Britain in 1939 under the name of “The Sleeping Beauty” and can now be watched worldwide.

Led by Sergei Radchenko, the Russian National Ballet Theater began in 1989 in Moscow and has amassed dozens of dancers from Russia's top chorographic schools, including Moscow, St. Petersburg and Perm. The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation helped form the group.

Radchenko, who serves as the artistic director of the group, is a graduate of Moscow School of Dance and a veteran of the Bolshoi Ballet. He also instructs classes and works with teachers from theaters in Bolshoi and Maryinsky.

Traditionally, the Russian National Ballet makes appearances in large cities but the location of Bradford is perfect, Mayes said.

“Being between the coastal cities of New York City, Philadelphia and Boston and the target cities of Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis and Chicago, makes us well-situated to host a major company in transit,” he said.

“One can pay $90 to see the Russian National Ballet perform the same work in Boston, or they can save their money and see the same show here in Bradford,” Mayes said. “I’m hoping ballet patrons opt to stay home and spend their money here and help spur our local economy.”

For disability-related needs, contact the Office of Disability Resources and Services at 814-362-7609 or arj4@pitt.edu.

For tickets, contact the Bromeley Family Theater box office at (814) 362-5113.