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Under the Spell of Aurora: in the ultimate fairy,-tale ballet, Aurora is the ultimate fairy-tale princess. The role offers challenges both technical and artistic. Dance Magazine asked seven ballerinas, some of whom have performed in more than one version of the ballet, about how they have tackled it.

Article Excerpt
ALEXANDRA ANSANELLI The Royal Ballet New York City Ballet

Performing the role is the epitome of what it means to be a ballerina. Aurora passes through so many phases of a woman's life. It's crucial to be different in every act, to show it emotionally as well as in the quality of your movement. The Rose Adagio is Aurora's coming-out party. She is meeting these suitors for the first time, and the music is full of that excitement. In the vision scene when she's under the spell, Tchaikovsky is a genius in the way you feel that mourning quality, that sadness, and yet there's beauty. Then the prince finds her and kisses her. You sense that joy in the freedom to begin with someone new. In Act III, Aurora has found her prince, she has faced fear and death. It's a partnership now; it's not all about her.

Antoinette Sibley coached me in my Aurora at the Royal, and the way she did the role was so calm, so elegant and graceful, that it gives the viewer a sense of peace to watch her. I was not prepared when I first did Aurora at NYCB. It was put together quite quickly. My performances with the Royal redeemed my capability of performing the role and doing it justice.

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