Birmingham Royal Ballet is throwing open its doors for the spring 2018 season at Birmingham Hippodrome, with performances of The Sleeping Beauty accompanied by the return of innovative large-scale performance project Sleeping Beauty Dreams and the announcement of its first ever relaxed performance.
The Sleeping Beauty also represents the first time Birmingham Royal Ballet and Birmingham Hippodrome have presented a relaxed ballet performance. This exciting new initiative for both venues is open to everyone, but intended to cater for anyone who may find going to the theatre challenging. In particular, BRB’s relaxed performance is designed for people with an Autistic Spectrum condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorder.
The Sleeping Beauty will be adapted especially for this relaxed performance (which takes place on Tuesday 20 February 2018), including a shorter running time, changes to lighting and sound levels to avoid sensory overload, and a flexible seating plan with plenty of room to move around during the performance.
Director David Bintley commented: “We want everyone to feel welcome at the ballet, which is why we’re so excited about our relaxed performance of The Sleeping Beauty. It’s a chance for family and friends to experience the magic of live performance together in an adapted environment where formal theatre rules don’t apply. We are proud to be working alongside our partners at Birmingham Hippodrome on this exciting venture, and can’t wait to welcome a brand new audience to Birmingham Royal Ballet performances”.
A second exciting initiative is Sleeping Beauty Dreams; a performance project for dance students of all ages which offers the rare opportunity to perform a full length ballet on the Birmingham Hippodrome stage alongside some of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s world-class dancers. This will be the second year of the inspiring project, which in 2016 saw 65 dancers from across the Midlands, with ages ranging from 8 to 76, perform alongside Birmingham Royal Ballet First Artists Karla Doorbar and Lachlan Monaghan in Cinderella Dreams.
Pamela Hawkins, who shared the role of Cinderella with BRB’s Karla Doorbar, commented at the time: “I would tell all young budding ballerinas to audition and take part in performances such as Cinderella Dreams. You meet and make so many new friends who also love ballet and it's just such a wonderful experience to share together. It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever been part of.”
Sleeping Beauty Dreams will be a four-month quest to inspire and develop dance talent across the region, bringing big ballet aspirations to life and culminating in a performance at Birmingham Hippodrome on Monday 19 February 2018.
Both Birmingham Royal Ballet’s relaxed performance and Sleeping Beauty Dreams are presented as part of The Sleeping Beauty season at Birmingham Hippodrome. This classic fairy tale is transformed into of the grandest ballets ever created, with a classical score by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Marius Petipa. With a marvellous mixture of virtuoso dance, dazzling spectacle and live music from the acclaimed Royal Ballet Sinfonia, The Sleeping Beauty is an enchanting experience for all the family.
