Last week I witnessed three remarkable explorations of distinctly different Tchaikovsky ballets, utterly transformed to reflect modern tastes and suit the times we live in: The multicultural dances celebrated in The Brooklyn Nutcracker by Brooklyn Ballet at Kings Theatre, Swan Lake by the all-male en pointe comedic dance divas of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (aka “The Trocks”) at the Joyce Theater and Sleeping Beauty Dreams at the Beacon Theatre. Two of the three reimagined the ballets but still remained faithful to the originals, especially to the score, but the third blasted any traditional expression to smithereens with the precision of a ray-gun.
While Sleeping Beauty Dreams is visually striking and the talent involved is undeniable, in its current incarnation, it is best enjoyed as a sort of moving meditation or music video brought to life. Purists and fans of the classical ballet may find it a bit unnerving and not to their tastes — though it will be interesting to see if it finds an alternative audience within the techie realm who may be able to better appreciate the extraordinary efforts involved. (I found it almost as interesting to observe the live maneuvering of the technicians, including L-ISA audio engineer Carlos Mosquera, manipulating the sound much like the dancers on stage were contorting their bodies).
Read the full article here: BWW Review: SLEEPING BEAUTY DREAMS at The Beacon Theatre is a High-Tech Futuristic Fantasy