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See the University Ballet Company's performance of excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty at Jorgensen April 26 at 7pm! This beautiful ballet includes the dances of Princess Aurora, the Lilac Fairy, and Carabosse as well as fairytale characters such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.

Dancers from UBC, UConn's premier ballet company, have trained with programs including Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Ellison Ballet, The Hartt School, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, Orlando Ballet, Kaatsbaan, Nutmeg Conservatory and Pennsylvania Ballet.

Join us for this magical and beautiful ballet - perfect for the spring!

TICKETS

THE STORY

OUR STORY BEGINS IN THE GRAND PALACE ...

... at the christening of the beloved princess, Aurora. The King and Queen wished to invite the fairies of the realm to be Godmothers to the baby princess but were loath to invite Carabosse, the ancient Fairy of Wisdom, who has not been heard from in many years.

The other fairies of the land begin to arrive at the christening, starting with the Purple Fairies.

Then the Color Fairies, led by the Lilac Fairy, arrive and bestow gifts on their goddaughter: grace, joy, a musical voice, generosity, a serene temperament and beauty.

The fairies give their gifts to the Princess, but just before the Lilac Fairy can bless Aurora with hers, Carabosse arrives in a rage at being overlooked.

She bestows a curse on Aurora: on her 16th birthday, she will prick her finger on a spindle and die. The whole court is horrified. Just then the Lilac Fairy steps forward. While she cannot undo Carabosse’s curse, she weaves a counter spell: the Princess will not die, but will fall into a deep sleep.

Carabosse is enraged and scares the Lilac Fairy away from the Kingdom.

Sixteen years later, on Aurora’s 16th Birthday, the villagers dance the Garland Dance to celebrate the princess.

When the festivities are at their height, Carabosse steps forward and presents Aurora with the spindle disguised in a bouquet of flowers she has smuggled into the party.

Aurora is captivated and dances with it until she pricks her finger and collapses. Carabosse reveals herself, laughs triumphantly, and disappears as the court falls asleep.

When the Lilac Fairy hears that the curse has gone into effect, she returns to the Kingdom to break it.

Once the Lilac Fairy breaks the spell and the court awakens, Aurora is to be crowned as the new Queen. At the coronation, various fairytale characters such as Cinderella and the Bluebirds dance to celebrate.

The story ends with the Lilac Fairy and her other fairies’ blessing Aurora’s succession to the throne and will rule over the kingdom in peace and happiness.