Ballet Appreciation Series (2015#Jul)

July 16

Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet 

- It was a brief comparative study of performances by various corps de ballet

- It has a prologue (The Christening) and 3 acts (The Spell, The Vision, The Wedding)

Fairies Variations - divertissements (irrelevant to theme)

Beautiful princess Aurora was cursed to sleep for a hundred years. Fortunately the Lilac Fairy guided Prince Désiré (!) to kiss her awake.

Grand pas de deux - at the Wedding:

A grand pas de deux is a structured pas de deux that typically has five parts, consisting of an entrée (introduction), an adagio, two variations (a solo for each dancer), and a coda (conclusion). 

一段典型的'大雙人舞'會分做五大部份: 起曲、大慢板、兩段變奏舞（兩位舞蹈員一人一段），然後以終曲作結。

Full performances, 2 hours each.

JULY 23

Giselle 

The ballet is practically a mime, using clear sign and body languages, making it easy to understand.

- Part 1 - A plain-clothed duke and peasant-girl Giselle fell in love. After the duke's identity and his engagement to a princess were revealed, Giselle died of a broken and already-weak heart. 

- Part 2 - In underworld, Giselle continued to protect the duke's life.