I created this book to share the magic of ballet with you in a fun and approachable way. Inside, you'll find stories behind the most beloved classical ballets and a ballet dictionary to help you understand all the essential terms. Whether you're a b...
Sleeping Beauty was composed in 1889 by Tchaikovsky.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
(Fun Fact: It wasn't until 70 years after Sleeping Beauty was composed that the Disney animation was made in 1959.)
Prologue: The ballet begins with the celebration of Princess Aurora's birth. The entire kingdom rejoices, and six good fairies are invited to bless the baby princess with gifts of virtue, beauty, and grace. Each fairy presents a gift, but before the seventh fairy, the Lilac Fairy, can offer hers, the wicked fairy Carabosse arrives in a rage. She was not invited to the celebration, and in her fury, she curses Aurora to prick her finger on a spindle and die on her sixteenth birthday. The Lilac Fairy, unable to reverse the curse, softens it by promising that Aurora will not die but instead fall into a deep sleep, only to be awakened by a prince’s true love’s kiss. King Florestan orders that all spindles be banned from the kingdom.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The Lilac Fairy
Act I: Sixteen years later, Princess Aurora is a beautiful young woman, and the court celebrates her birthday with a grand ball. Suitors come from far and wide, vying for her hand. During the festivities, a disguised Carabosse appears, offering Aurora a spindle. Curious and naive, Aurora pricks her finger and collapses as the curse takes effect. Chaos ensues until the Lilac Fairy arrives, casting a spell that puts the entire court to sleep. An enchanted forest grows around the castle, concealing it from the outside world until the right moment.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Princess Aurora
Act II: One hundred years later, Prince Désiré is hunting in the forest when the Lilac Fairy appears and shows him a vision of the sleeping Aurora. Captivated, he follows the fairy to the hidden castle, where he battles Carabosse and her dark magic. Overcoming all obstacles, the prince reaches Aurora and awakens her with a true love’s kiss. The curse is broken, and the entire court awakens from its century-long slumber.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Act III: The story concludes with a wedding celebration, featuring various fairytale characters, dances, and a final blessing from the good fairies. After all these guests have paid their respects to the bride and bridegroom, Aurora and Désiré dance a grand pas de deux. The whole assembly joins in a dance in their honor, and the kingdom rejoices.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
