Sleeping Beauty. International Festival Ballet & Festival Orchestra 30 January 2026

"Sleeping Beauty" as a masterpiece of ballet art

"Sleeping Beauty" is one of the most famous works of ballet literature and a marvelous children's fairy tale. Performed by the International Festival Ballet, they tell a fairy tale story based on Charles Perrault's fairy tale "The Sleeping Beauty", which was first staged as a ballet in 1890 to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa.

An impressive extravaganza of beauty, elegance and grace combined with breathtaking costumes, truly royal sets and the unique passion of the dancers of the International Festival Ballet impressively transports the audience into a fairytale world of fantasy and dreams. A perfect work of art accompanied by a live orchestra.

Story of creation and plot

In a fairytale world of fairies, princes and a beautiful girl, the ballet ensemble of the International Festival Ballet will present the fairytale story of one of the most popular children's fairytales of our time - Sleeping Beauty. Known in Germany as a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the story of a girl cursed by an evil fairy and who can only be saved by true love's kiss was adapted as a ballet and premiered at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in 1890. To this day, Sleeping Beauty remains one of the most popular ballets and is part of the standard international classical ballet repertoire.

A creative union of geniuses: Tchaikovsky and Petipa

The ballet Sleeping Beauty was created in close collaboration between Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa, perhaps the most outstanding choreographer of the 19th century. Its formal perfection and highly developed choreographic and musical expressiveness delight the discerning connoisseur, and thanks to its fairy-tale spontaneity and theatrical splendor, Sleeping Beauty is a delight for the general public as well.

Visual and musical splendor of the production

The interplay of delightful costumes, the lively music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the virtuoso choreography of Marius Petipa brings the fairytale world on stage to life. Every dance step, every musical chord and every element of the scenery is carefully thought out and contributes to the magical atmosphere of the ballet.

In addition, the grandiose sets by the brilliant theater artist Vyacheslav Okunev, who has worked for, among others, the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and La Scala in Milan, the beautiful costumes, the boundless elegance and frivolity. The combination of dance perfection, musical brilliance and visual splendor makes The Sleeping Beauty an unforgettable event for young and old alike.

The timeless magic of ballet

With every twist and leap, the International Festival Ballet transports its audience into a world of magic and beauty that blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy. The timeless story of "Sleeping Beauty" is presented in this production with such dedication and sophistication that even after decades it touches and enchants the hearts of the audience.