Legendary St Petersburg ballet troupe to perform 'The Sleeping Beauty' in Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 ― The world-renowned St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet company will make its way to Kuala Lumpur to perform the beloved classic The Sleeping Beauty this October.

It will be the St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet’s debut performance in Malaysia and the first time The Sleeping Beauty will be performed in Asia.

Produced by The Dance Company, the team that presented last year’s successful Swan Lake by the UK’s Ballet West, the production will feature 33 Russian ballet dancers, dramatic costumes, an elaborate set and of course, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s iconic composition that will undoubtedly enchant audiences.

The St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet tours over 130 cities and countries, performing 250 sold out shows a year.

Ballet enthusiasts will be delighted to note that this version of The Sleeping Beauty is the ballet’s most original choreography is known to be notoriously testing thanks to its complex Baroque technique.

“The most challenging this is to keep to the original style of the Mariinsky Theatre where the ballet was born,” said principal dancer Anna Voitina at a press conference and signing ceremony.

The original production’s choreography was done by French ballet master Marius Petipa who is regarded as one of the most influential choreographers in ballet history.

The Dance Company artistic director Audrey Kwan says staying true to the ballet's original choreography is particularly difficult for dancers.

“Modern ballet has been adapted to what children are physically capable of today. So, to keep it in its most original form is very difficult and we have the experts here,” said The Dance Company artistic director Audrey Kwan.

Based on the Charles Perrault fairy tale, The Sleeping Beauty premiered in St Petersburg, Russia in 1890 during the golden age of Russian classical ballet. Today, 129 years later, it remains an important masterpiece in classical dance.

The collaboration between The Dance Company and the St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet aims to forge stronger ties between Malaysia and Russia through cultural exchange.

Catch The Sleeping Beauty on October 11 and October 12, 8.30pm at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Tickets are priced at RM192, RM292, RM392, RM592, RM792, RM1,092 and RM2,292, and are available here.