A brief overture contrasts the themes of the malicious Carabosse and the benevolent Lilac Fairy. When the curtain rises, the court assembles for Princess Aurora's christening. The three fairies present their gifts. Carabosse, a fairy overlooked by the master of ceremonies, enters. She curses Aurora. The Princess shall die on her 16th birthday, she says, after pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. The remaining seventh fairy the Lilac Fairy comes forward. She cannot put the curse to rest, but she can soften it. The Princess shall not die, she commands, but sleep one hundred years. At the end of that term, a Prince will awaken her with true love's kiss.

 

 

Shanghai Ballet "The Butterfly Lovers"

 

 

Shanghai Ballet "Swan Lake"

 

About Shanghai Ballet
The Shanghai Ballet has formally renamed in 1979 at the base of "The White-haired Girl" performing team. Ballet "The White-haired Girl" won the Gold Medal of the Best Classical Dance Works of the 20th Century in China, which helped establish the Ballet’s predominant position in ballet circle in China.

Since its founding, many young dancers of the company have won total of 39 medals in various international dance competitions. The Shanghai Ballet is active in cooperation and cultural exchange with the artists and companies both abroad and at home. The company not only tours nationwide but also has visited many countries and regions, including the U.S.A., U.K, Canada, France, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Finland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, etc.

 

Conductor: Zhang Chengjie

Choreographer: Derek Deane

Set & Costume Designer: Peter Docherty

Accompaniment: Shanghai Opera House Orchestra