The Sleeping Beauty

Prologue
The christening

The christening of Princess Aurora is being celebrated. Six good fairies, the baby’s godmothers, present their gifts. Every happiness is promised to the princess when suddenly the wicked witch Carabosse appears. She reproaches the King for not having invited her to the feast; Catalabutte, the butler, has inadvertently left her off his list. In a fury, she makes a terrible prophecy: one day, when the young Aurora has grown up, she will prick her finger with a needle and die. However, the Lilac Fairy, who has not yet given her present, mitigates the spell. The princess will not die, she will only sleep for a hundred years, along with all the inhabitants of the palace. The King swears that anyone who uses pins or needles will be sentenced to death.

Act 1
The spell

For the princess’s sixteenth birthday, the King and the Queen are holding a great feast. Three knitters, sent by Carabosse, brave the King’s ban. Discovered in their criminal act, they make off leaving three maidservants to be accused in their stead. The King has the maidservants arrested, but the Queen intervenes in their favour. From the four corners of the world come four princes, pretenders to Aurora’s hand.

The young girl only glances at the treasures spread out by the strangers, but she receives with grace the simple homage of a flower (Rose Adagio). Carabosse, appearing in the form of an elderly woman of the court, gives Aurora a bouquet of flowers in which she has hidden a needle. Aurora is pricked and faints.

The four princes try to seize Carabosse, who sneaks away and leaves them to rush upon their own swords. The Lilac Fairy has taken Aurora to the place where she will sleep for a hundred years and plunges the entire palace into a deep slumber. It will be protected by a forest which she has just caused to appear.

Act 2
The vision

During a hunting party, Prince Désiré, who, despite the attractive Countess, games and entertainments, is melancholic and in search of solitude. The young man advances into the depths of the wood. The Lilac Fairy appears to him and shows him the image of Aurora. The prince immediately falls in love. He dances with this vision until it vanishes.

The Lilac Fairy then takes Prince Désiré in search of Aurora. Soon, they reach the sleeping castle. Carabosse awaits them at the entrance to prevent them from entering. The Lilac Fairy triumphs over the witch’s evil spell and she loses all her power. Guards, pages, courtiers and noblewomen shake off the dust of the ages. Aurora awakes on being kissed by the prince.

Act 3
Aurora’s wedding

The castle is lit up for the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré. Straight from the tales of Perrault and Madame d’Aulnoy, here are the Blue Bird and Princess Florine, Puss in Boots and the White Cat. Aurora and Desiré are joined together for all eternity.