English Youth Ballet – The Sleeping Beauty Review

Theatre Royal Concert Hall Nottingham – until Saturday 23rd July 2022

Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh

4****

The English Youth Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty is a sumptuous and scintillating display of traditional dance alongside modern twists. The lavish production comprised of 6 international principal dancers and showcased the talents of 70 young dancers from the local area. This made for a wonderful, warm atmosphere as the audience comprised of a mixture of ballet fans like myself and family members who were tingling with excitement at seeing their loved ones perform. With simple sets and spectacular costumes the show was a sight to behold.

Sleeping Beauty is the story of good triumphing over evil. At Aurora’s christening, the party is interrupted by wicked Aunt Carabosse who places a curse upon Aurora. To reverse the curse the good Aunt Lilac places Aurora, her family and guests in the Palace Gardens in a cryogenic frozen state to sleep for one hundred years, until the arrival of the Prince and his kiss.

When put in those simplistic terms, it does not do justice to the majesty that was brought to life on the stage tonight. The stamina, the skill, the artistry. It was mesmerising. The heart of the show was the youth who vibrantly pumped new blood into this age-old tale. But the dancers, as a whole, worked seamlessly together to tell the tale of Sleeping Beauty

I wish there could have been a live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky as this would have added the icing on the cake of a feast for the senses. But that aside, The English Youth Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty, is a charming and enchanting production and I would urge you to go see it and support local talent.