Russian ballet coming to the Lycian

Sugar Loaf — Kings Theatre Company will present the Moscow Festival Ballet’s lavish performance of the classic ballet “The Sleeping Beauty” at the Lycian Centre for the Performing Arts in Sugar Loaf at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4. “The Sleeping Beauty” is often considered the finest achievement of the classical ballet. A baby princess is condemned at her christening by an evil fairy to prick her finger and die on her 16th birthday. But she is saved by the gift of the good Lilac Fairy, who declares the princess will only sleep until awakened by the kiss of a prince. The ballet company will execute the fairy tale replete with a king and queen, fairies both good and evil, a beautiful princess and dream prince, magical stage effects, and courtly splendor. The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989, when legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, Sergei Radchenko, sought to realize his vision of a company that would bring together the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies in an independent new company within the framework of Russian classic ballet. Leading dancers from across the Russias have forged, under Radchenko’s direction, a new company staging new productions of timeless classics such as “Giselle,” “Don Quixote,” “Carmen,” and “Sleeping Beauty.” Since its inception, the Moscow Festival Ballet has completed two tours of Europe, taking in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, and two tours of the United Kingdom, including capacity audiences at London’s Coliseum. The company has also toured extensively throughout the United States, and will be here in Sugar Loaf as part of the company’s 17-week American tour. Tickets are $42 for adults and $31.50 for youth (18 years and younger). Call the Lycian Centre box office at 469-2287 Tuesday through Saturday, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.lyciancentre.com.