DANCE REVIEW: Sleeping Beauty, Liverpool Empire Theatre

Feb 5 2008 by Lew Baxter, Liverpool Daily Post

IF THERE was ever going to be any real magic between the principal parts in this most splendid of Marius Pepita’s ballets, with mostly languorous music by Tchaikovsky, then producer Ellen Kent has surely hit the jackpot with the husband and wife team of Kristina and Alexei Terentiev.

They are, of course, Princess Aurora and Prince Desire whose lives become entwined thanks to the nasty deeds of the wicked fairy Carabosse.

Everyone knows how Aurora is wakened from a coma by the kiss off the Prince, so we’ll skip the outline. The sets are quite simply sumptuous and the Empire’s imperiously grand stage lends an air of majesty to this production that features members of the Chisinau National Ballet.

There is also an input from the local Eliott Clarke School who regularly finds its students called upon to assist in Ellen’s touring ballet and opera production.

It must be revealed that Carbosse is a harridan writ large and Igor Cherchin plays the part to menacing perfection while Natalia Korotkova’s Lilac Fairy injects just the right note of genteel goodness as she outwits the nasty old witch.

There is a sense of harmony about this production that gives it a gathering momentum and it is easy to be embraced by the dreams and fantasies of another land, another place. In fact, apart from evil spells, it doesn’t seem a bad billet at all, thanks again to the corking sets.

After the wedding – naturally it ends happily – the newlyweds take part in the celebrations, providing an opportunity for the company to shine, none more so than the Terentievs.

Various “pas de deux” confirm just why this couple has begun to stamp its mark on the international ballet world, she in particular a sensation in a number of recent productions and here demonstrating superbly honed skills.