Meet the Canary Fairy from the Sleeping Beauty
Let’s learn about the Act I variation of the Canary Fairy (also known as the Songbird fairy, the fairy of Playfulness and Musicality) from the famous Sleeping Beauty ballet. It was first performed in 1890, with music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa, but there are now a number of different versions from choreographers all over the world!
Here is the story of this ballet, written by the English National Ballet:
Prologue – The Christening
King Florestan and his Queen are holding a celebration for the christening of their baby, Princess Aurora. Amongst their guests are her fairy godmothers who each bestow a magical gift on the child: beauty, temperament, purity, joy, wit and generosity.
Before the Lilac Fairy can present the final gift another fairy is seen approaching, Carabosse, who is in a rage because the Master of Ceremonies forgot to invite her to the ceremony. As revenge for being overlooked she pronounces that Aurora will one day prick her finger and die. The Lilac Fairy, unable to completely overturn the curse confounds it instead by promising that Aurora will not die but rather fall into a deep sleep from which she will be awakened by a prince’s kiss.
Act I – The Spell
It is Princess Aurora’s 16th birthday and four princes arrive to seek her hand in marriage at the celebration. All sharp objects have been banned at court and so when three women are found to have knitting needles the King sentences them to death for endangering Aurora’s life. The Queen intervenes and persuades the King to spare their lives. The celebration resumes with the townspeople dancing the Garland Waltz.
Aurora enters and is introduced to the four princes. She dances with each of them in turn, the Rose Adage, as she decides which one to marry.
A mysterious cloaked guest arrives with a gift for Aurora, a spindle. Having never seen a sharp object before Aurora dances with it, fascinated. She pricks her finger on the spindle and the hooded guest reveals herself as Carabosse, reiterating her curse before disappearing. The Lilac Fairy appears and to protect Aurora, casts a spell over the palace and its entire people, sending them to sleep. At her command a forest covers the Palace until the promised awakening.
Act II – The Vision
One hundred years have passed. Prince Désiré is hunting with members of his court. Strangely unhappy he seeks solitude to reflect on his ideal love.
The Lilac Fairy appears and presents a vision of Princess Aurora to him. He pleads with her to take him to where the lovely vision sleeps. They journey together through the forest to the overgrown palace where, following a confrontation between good and evil, the Prince awakens Aurora with a kiss. The spell is broken and Carabosse and her attendants disappear vanquished.
Act III – The Wedding
The Court is jubilant with the wedding celebrations of Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré. The guests include the fairytale characters Puss in Boots and the White Cat, the Bluebird and Princess Florine, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf all of whom pay their respects to the radiant couple. Their joy is complete when the Lilac Fairy arrives and gives her blessing to their happy union.
Ready for some real ballet magic? Book your Repertoire classes through this link. See you fairies very soon!
About the Author: Inês Coelho da Silva
Inês Coelho da Silva RAD RTS, Silver Swans®️, PBT®️, Pointe Fitter
Inês Coelho da Silva is the Director and Principal Teacher at STUDIO B Ballet Academy. Inês is dedicated to making the discipline and beauty of ballet accessible to those with demanding modern lifestyles. Her approach was born from observing the real-world challenges of her students, focusing on sustainable progress, injury prevention, and the joy of movement, regardless of how busy the schedule.
