Very truncated, but historically important Sleeping Beauty, November 20, 2004
Reviewer: Ivy Lin (NY NY) - See all my reviews
Margot Fonteyn's "calling card" role was Aurora, where her lyrical graceful style, regal stage presence, and balletic talents seemed to fuse synergistically. She was a sensation in this role when she toured in the US in 1949, and this 1955 B&W "made for TV" production is a souvenir of the Royal Ballet's Sleeping Beauty.
A few caveats: only a B&W print remains. The ballet was filmed on a cramped tv soundstage, and many times corps are cut out of the camera lens. The closeups of the dancers are awkward -- it seems as if the camera was placed too high or too low and thus many of the scenes cut the dancers off at the knees or seem to film them at an awkward angle. Plus, the ballet was heavily truncated, presumably to fit in a televised time slot. So if youre looking for a full-length, well-filmed Sleeping Beauty video, look elsewhere.
Margot Fonteyn was of course Aurora, and Michael Somes is the Prince Florimund. Beryl Grey is the Lilac Fairy. Fonteyn's extensions in the 1950s are higher and easier, her balances steadier, and the Rose Adagio stands the test of time as a remarkable display of steely toes. More importantly, Fonteyn has a natural charm, and the most beautiful, expressive port-de-bras -- like the greatest ballerinas her arms almost become a musical instrument. However, I think Fonteyn might have been uncomfortable with the conditions, because she wears a tight smile throughout most of the film. Nevertheless this remains an important souvenir of her most famous role.
Michael Somes is her partner. He's very handsome, but the partnership does not (at least onstage -- offstage they supposedly even had an affair) exude much chemistry. It's a very classical partnership, with a handsome, somewhat stiff male danseur assisting the prima ballerina. Sleeping Beauty doesnt have much of a storyline anyway. But I can see why Fonteyn was so revitalized by her partnership with Nureyev in the 1960s: it must have been like meeting a soulmate. Somes and Fonteyn arent really on soulmate level -- Aurora and Florimund seem like cordial dancing partners rather than a romantic prince and princess.
Frederick Ashton is appealingly overthetop as Carabosse, and Beryl Grey nearly steals the show as the Lilac Fairy.
