Fall under the spell of a fairy tale classic in Ballet Theatre of Carmel Academy’s stunning production of The Sleeping Beauty.
The ballet will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 26, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 27 at the STAR Bank Performing Arts Center, 1000 Mulberry St., Zionsville.
This beloved ballet tells the story of the lovely Princess Aurora, who is cursed at birth by the spiteful fairy Carabosse. Rather than falling ill and dying as Carabosse planned, Princess Aurora, protected by the Lilac Fairy, falls into a 100-year slumber on her 16th birthday to be awoken only by a Prince’s sweet kiss.
Complete with fairies and magic, princes and princesses, royal parties and weddings, this ballet will enchant audiences of all ages from beginning to end.
Leaping from the page to the stage, this beautiful and bewitching story is brought to life by Ballet Theatre of Carmel Academy’s pre-professional company, along with special guest artists, and young dancers from the one-of-a-kind “Be A Fairy” program. Featuring elaborate costumes, exquisite variations for nearly every character, and Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, The Sleeping Beauty is a ballet experience you won’t soon forget.
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Four of the performers hail from Carmel. They are Lead Dancers Aiko Ileleji and Ella Williams, who will share the role of Carabosse, and Ciara Farley, who will dance the role of Lilac Fairy; and Principal Dancer Anya Stephenson, who will dance the role of Aurora.
ILELEJA, 18, is a Carmel High School senior who will attend Indiana University as an English major in the fall. She has been dancing since she was young; first, at Lafayette Ballet then at Ballet Theatre of Carmel Academy (BTCA). Her first full-length ballet with BTCA was The Sleeping Beauty in 2015. Since then, she hasn’t missed a single Nutcracker or Spring Ballet. She says she is honored and grateful to be entrusted with the role of Carabosse in the Friday, May 26 production of The Sleeping Beauty.
WILLIAMS, 16, is a Carmel High School sophomore who has been dancing since age 3. She joined BTCA in 2019 to further her ballet training, while also continuing her work in Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, Ballroom, and Hip-Hop styles. Since joining BTCA, she has been in several full-length productions including Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, and The Firebird. Her favorite roles include a Stepsister in Cinderella, Hungarian Princess in Swan Lake, and Mouse Queen in The Nutcracker. She will dance the role of Carabosse in the Saturday, May 27 production of The Sleeping Beauty.
FARLEY, 18, Carmel, is a homeschooled junior. She started ballet when she was 2 years old after seeing Ballet Austin’s Nutcracker. She has been dancing with BTCA since she was 6 and has trained at summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Austin, Ballet Met, and BTCA. She has been accepted into Sarasota and ABT NYC Collegiate Program 2023 Summer Intensives and is a scholarship recipient to Sacramento Ballet and Texas Ballet Theatre Summer Intensives. She says some of her favorite roles over the past few years include Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen from The Nutcracker, and Pas de Trios and Moldavian Princess from Swan Lake. She will perform as Lilac Fairy in both productions of The Sleeping Beauty.
STEPHENSON, 15, is a Carmel High School freshman. She has been dancing since she was 3. She has lived in New Jersey and in California, where she began her in-depth ballet training at Livermore School of Dance. She moved with her family to Indiana in 2018, where she joined BTCA. She has studied both classical ballet and contemporary styles and enjoys performing both. Since joining BTCA, she has had the opportunity to perform in two full-length ballets every year. She says her favorite roles include Russian Soloist and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Evil Princess in The Firebird, and Pas Des Trois and Four Swans in Swan Lake. She has participated in and enjoyed several BTCA Senior Summer Intensives and was a scholarship recipient for Cincinnati Ballet’s 2022 Summer Intensive. She will perform as Aurora in the Saturday, May 27 production of The Sleeping Beauty.
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This is a family-friendly event with an intermission and lobby activities for all to enjoy, including the Ballet Boutique, Sleeping Beauty’s Bake Sale, and Dancer Meet & Greet.
Tickets are on sale now at BalletTheatreOfCarmel.org/sleeping-beauty. Cost is $25 for adults aged 18 and up, and $20 for children, seniors, and military servicemembers and veterans.
This production is sponsored in part by SHIMMY Dancewear, Excell for Life, Kinney Dancewear, and Moonbug Photography.