Sleeping Beauty

 

The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty is a timeless fairy tale of the beautiful Princess Aurora, the evil Sorceress Carabosse, a century of sleep and the awakening kiss of a handsome prince. Aurora will be played by guest artist Yumelia Garcia of the Florida Ballet.

Rockford Register Star Review
by Sue Langenberg

It was a matinee of magic Saturday as the Rockford Dance Company presented the full length "Sleeping Beauty" at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
The Mother Goose inspired tale in three acts, with music by Peter Tchaikovsky, came alive with suspended belief at the dance company took the audience into a lang populated by good fairies, bad fairies, sparkling royalty and a forest that falls asleep for 100 years.
As a ballet, "Sleeping Beauty" is a monumental undertaking. Sets, costumes and extensive cast of all ages in the story are the first hurdle. Since the first RDC production in 2002, artistic director Margaret Faust has taken it to new heights with many more sparkling costumes by designer Julie Seger and crew.
Moreover, the ballet is a challenging technical pointe work undertaking, thick with dance and curtain-to-curtain prowess making variation after variation a showcase of professional accomplishment, and nothing less.
But RDC was up to the task. With special guest artists, returning guests, well trained company members and delightful up-and-coming youngsters, the show was truly a pleasure.
Most special guest principal Yumelia Garcia, courtesy of Ballet Florida, hailed her presence as Princess Aurora to remind the Rockford dance audience how impeccable technique and supreme artistic aura make the ballet all it is meant to be. The role of Aurora further required a full repertoire of skills for petite allegro, grand allegro and breath-holding heavenly balances, all of which Garcia mastered with lyrical ease.
Cuban-born special guest artist Ariel Cisneros strongly partnered Garcia and appeared most princely. His presence reflected much experience dancing with many American companies as well as European.
The dance company also can be proud that soloist dancers trained within the ranks and now off to their own careers returned to perform in this production. RDC-trained Alex Lantz flew in from Canada with his stallion build and clean technique to dance Blue Bird with soloist Natalie Seger. He brought with him two Canadian soloists David Campbell and Jesse Fraser. Northern Illinois University also was well represented with Randall Newsom as meanie Fairy Maleficio and RDC-trained Caitlin Glavan as Fairy of the Crystal Fountain. Newsom's portrayal en traviste was hilariously effective as he swept about surrounded by the appropriate number of rats.
Other magic fairy soloists with lots of steps to present included Katy Telfer, Megan Seger, Bailey Glavan, Marina Ragonese-Barnes, Whitney Lashock, Mark Foster and Susan Belles. There's red riding hood and a wolf, danced by Monette Tanuyan and Larry Pool. Special note goes to Telfer whose dance development has grown to a most professional polish. It was dance as it should be, with only one notable missing detal, to include the Rockford Symphony Orchestra.

 

 

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