Houston Ballet set to enchant with 'The Sleeping Beauty'

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The classic story of a beautiful but cursed princess is set to take center stage in Houston Ballet's spellbinding production of 'The Sleeping Beauty.'

The Ballet says audiences will be mesmerized by the enchanting story of Princess Aurora, who is thrust into a struggle for life and death when a wicked fairy condemns the infant to death with a curse at her christening.

Yet when the curse is magically changed by The Lilac Fairy, Aurora's survival becomes dependent on true love's kiss.

Featuring a revival of Artistic Director Emeritus Ben Stevenson's spectacular staging of the fairytale by Charles Perrault, 'The Sleeping Beauty' is richly celebrated in the ballet.

Stevenson created the production in 1990 in honor of the ballet's centenary, drawing inspiration from Russian ballet master Nicholas Sergeyev for the challenging performance.

Principal dancer Sara Webb, who has portrayed Aurora, says the production is as demanding as it is beautiful.

"Of all the ballets out there, 'The Sleeping Beauty' is the purest classical ballet," Webb says. "It is the ballet every girl grows up learning, without realizing she is learning it, because it embodies everything she has been doing since her first ballet class."

This flagship work also features lavish scenery and spectacular costumes by Desmond Heeley, with inspiration from Oliver Messel's 1946 production.

Ermanno Florio conducts the Houston Ballet orchestra.

'The Sleeping Beauty' runs at Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas Avenue, from February 25 to March 6.

Tickets are available now at the box office or by calling 713-227-ARTS. For more information, visit houstonballet.org.