Ballet Jörgen tours a magical nature-inspired Sleeping Beauty across Canada
Company artists Márcio Teixeira and Daniel Da Silva talk costumes and symbolism in the show ahead of a stop at the Massey Theatre
Hannah Mae Cruddas as the Lilac Fairy in Ballet Jörgen’s Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Michelle MacKenzie
Massey Theatre presents Ballet Jörgen’s Sleeping Beauty on February 8 at 4 pm
THE ARTISTS OF Ballet Jörgen are no strangers to touring; since the company’s inception in 1987, it has performed numerous original productions for small towns and underserved communities across Canada, leading it to win the National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring in 2011.
So it’s definitely fitting that when Stir connects with company artists Márcio Teixeira and Daniel Da Silva by Zoom, they’re taking a break from rehearsals in the rafters of the Capitol Centre in North Bay, Ontario, the second stop on Ballet Jörgen’s cross-Canada tour of Sleeping Beauty.
Teixeira is a former company dancer who is now wardrobe supervisor, while Da Silva is currently juggling the roles of artistic lead, rehearsal director, and senior company dancer. Both artists say that while such an extensive touring schedule comes with its logistical challenges—for example, a massive dump of January snow slowed them down when they reached North Bay—it’s a rewarding process.
“I feel more equipped to be on the road than at home,” Teixeira says. “I have luggage that I leave in the truck, and everything is there. I just take the luggage, bring it to my hotel room, and I have everything I need. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s so weird that I feel more at ease on the road than at home.’ Well, I feel great at home—but I feel more prepared to be on the road.”
Activities like knitting and listening to audiobooks help pass the time on long drives, the artists say. Those hobbies will certainly come in handy over the next few months, because Ballet Jörgen’s current tour of Sleeping Beauty continues until May 10. After a stop in New Westminster at the Massey Theatre on February 8, the company will visit Cranbrook, Oliver, Terrace, and Kitimat before heading back east to several cities throughout Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
Márcio Teixeira.
Daniel Da Silva.
Choreographed by Ballet Jörgen’s founding artistic director Bengt Jörgen nearly a decade ago and set to Tchaikovsky’s original 1890 score, this version of Sleeping Beauty is reinterpreted as a nature allegory full of magical elements. Princess Aurora herself represents nature, while the evil fairy Carabosse is the dead of winter, whose pricks of frost send the natural world into a deep slumber. Prince Désiré is spring, capable of awakening nature with a kiss of sunshine. The fairies—including the wise, powerful Lilac Fairy—are all birds, bringing a sense of freedom to the world.
Ballet Jörgen’s Sleeping Beauty also reinterprets the folklore of how the rose got its thorns; the heroic Lilac Fairy and her roses symbolize the good in the world, while bitter Carabosse and the thorns represent evil. Da Silva, who plays multiple roles in the ballet corps (including one of Carabosse’s thorns, the Lilac Fairy’s roses, and Aurora’s suitors) says he enjoys the contrast between all the roles onstage.
“When we play the thorns, we’re evil, so we use a lot of hands and we’re a little quirky,” he notes. “Then when we play the flowers, we’re definitely a little bit more graceful and beautiful, and we try to be soft. So it’s very interesting to be able to switch between one and the other.”
The costumes for the production were originally designed by Camellia Koo, and meticulously repaired, refitted, and organized by Teixeira for the present-day cast. They play an important role in distinguishing good from evil: the thorns are dressed in all black, while the roses appear in white and pale pink.
“The thorn costumes are actually very beautiful, especially Carabosse’s,” Teixeira shares. “There is a lot of gold, and there are vines all over the costume. Once it gets to the light of the stage, it just comes out to the audience, so it feels kind of magical in a way. And the gloves, they have spikes all over, which makes everything a little more creepy.”
During the pandemic, Teixeira and Da Silva took part in Ballet Jörgen’s Boys Who Dance mentorship project. The company’s male ballet artists were paired with aspiring young dancers across Canada, allowing them to share insights and career advice with the young men virtually. Both Teixeira and Da Silva grew up in Brazil, where they had to face prejudices and stereotypes from others while pursuing their ballet careers. Having a male mentor to look to for guidance and support, the artists tell Stir, can make all the difference for a young boy hoping to make it big in ballet.
Given the wide outreach that Ballet Jörgen has developed through its years of touring, and its continued commitment to fostering mentorship opportunities, Da Silva encourages aspiring dancers to get in touch—and to come see a performance of Sleeping Beauty.
“There’s so many things about the company that people don’t know,” he shares. “We have the ballet one-on-one [mentorship] program, we go to schools, and we do masterclasses. We’re very open. We’re just one email away from meeting a new friend. So that’s our idea: We go where there’s a need for enrichment of the soul.” 
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