What Is the Story of the Ballet Sleeping Beauty Based On?

Ballet

The story of the ballet Sleeping Beauty is based on a classic fairy tale of the same name. The original tale was written by Charles Perrault in 1697 and has been adapted into countless works of art, including the renowned ballet by Marius Petipa in 1890. The story is a timeless classic that follows the tale of a beautiful princess cursed to sleep for one hundred years until she is awoken by true love’s kiss.

The ballet follows the traditional plot line with some embellishments. It begins with Princess Aurora’s christening and her evil godmother Carabosse cursing her to die when she turns sixteen.

Three good fairies are able to modify Carabosse’s curse so that instead of death, Aurora will simply fall into a deep sleep until awakened by true love’s kiss. When Aurora turns sixteen, she pricks her finger on a spindle and falls into a deep sleep as predicted. The entire palace falls asleep with her, including all the guests who had gathered for the celebration.

A century later, Prince Florimund finds his way to the palace and awakens everyone with true love’s kiss. He and Aurora marry shortly after and they live happily ever after. The additional characters in the ballet make it more interesting than the original fairy tale, such as Puss in Boots, Bluebird and Princess Florine, who help Prince Florimund find his way to Aurora.

The story of Sleeping Beauty has inspired many ballets around the world, each with its own unique interpretations and choreography. Despite its basic plot line remaining largely unchanged, different renditions add their own twists and turns to make it suitable for their audience or artistic style.

Conclusion:

The timeless story of Sleeping Beauty has been adapted into countless works of art but its core remains unchanged – Princess Aurora is cursed to sleep until she is awoken by true love’s kiss. While different versions may have their own unique interpretation, they all remain faithful to this classic fairy tale.