Marcos Morau, a highly acclaimed Spanish choreographer and Spain’s youngest National Dance Award winner, showcases in his works the eclectic possibilities of ballet theatre. His restaging of Sleeping Beauty moves beyond the fairy tale love story and highlights the intrigue that lies at the heart of the classic tale – sleep and awakening, the nature of time, the timeless and the present moment. Sleeping Beauty features striking stage visuals, ingenious use of space, colour and tone, a picture frame-like stage, and contrast between red and white. As the performance unfolds, the mood on stage gradually shifts, reflecting Morau’s perspective on the passage of time. The brilliant dancers bring to life a unique body language weaved by the choreographer, from abstract body movements and elements of physical theatre, while Tchaikovsky’s music merges with contemporary sounds. Seeking to strip the fairy tale of its façade, Morau takes the audience on a search for a way out of this chaotic world.

By Daisy Chu
Editor and theatre traveller. Chu writes frequent dance reviews in numerous media websites, newspapers and magazines

This article is summarised and translated from Chinese.