My daughter celebrated her 5^th birthday this weekend and she was so excited to learn that we had tickets to go see Sleeping Beauty at the Knight Theater in Charlotte, NC. She had gone to the ballet once before with her father on a daddy-daughter date night and loved it. So she was doubly excited to go again and have it be her birthday.

On the night of the performance, the whole family put on their Sunday best and we headed to uptown Charlotte. My son was a little skeptical about attending a ballet since he has never been to one, but he agreed to go in celebration of his sister’s birthday. We arrived at the Knight Theater and the lobby area was already bustling with people. My daughter wore her “Birthday Princess” tiara and was giggling every time someone wished her a happy birthday. She would say, “How do they know it’s my birthday?”. It was so adorable that she kept forgetting that her tiara was giving it away. She immediately spotted the souvenir table that was filled with tutu’s, fairy wings, adorable stuffed animal ballerinas and tiara’s of all kinds. There was so much to chose from that she finally selected the bunny ballerina she named “Aurora”.

Next, we entered the theater and sat in our seats. The lights dimmed and the orchestra music engulfed the theater and the red curtain went up. The costumes and tiaras were glistening in the spotlight. The performers were beautiful in their leaps and turns. We were in awe of the stage sets and performances. The story of Sleeping Beauty the ballet kept to the storyline that my children were familiar with and had a only few differences. My children were able to follow along even though there were no words spoken. The ballet was truly exquisite.

We enjoyed watching the fairies celebrating the christening of baby Aurora with the King and Queen. Then Carabosse, the Fairy of Jealousy, entered the stage and it was a dramatic scene. My children were at the edge of their seats. Carabosse curses that one day Aurora will die by a prick on her finger. On Aurora’s sixteenth birthday an old shrew comes to visit her with lovely flowers. Within those flowers there is a spindle that pricks her finger and Aurora dies. Everyone in the palace is in shock, but the Lilac Fairy tells them all that she is only asleep. So she hides them all in an enchanted forest until one day, 100 years later, a Prince will come to save Aurora.

Like all fairytales there is a happy ending. Carobosse is destroyed and the Prince awakens Aurora with a magical kiss. A celebration of their wedding brings surprise guests and the union of Prince Florimond and Princess Aurora. Solo acts and group ensembles were amazing to watch.The ballet was approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 20 minute intermission. No photographs can be taken during the performance. My children had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed the ballet. The North Carolina Dance Theatre has wonderfully talented performers. They made it look so easy and brought you to a magical time.

If you have not had a chance to see this wonderful ballet you can still attend one last showtime on Sunday, March 18^th at 2pm.

You can purchase your tickets at www.ncdance.org or call 704-372-1000.