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Does anyone know the names given to the five fairies (ie excluding the Lilac Fairy) in the first performances of The Sleeping Beauty in St Petersburg in 1890, or is able to refer me to a webpage or whatever that gives the names. I've tried to find out and have come across the following names for fairies one to five: the Tender fairy, the Playful, the Generous, the Brave, the Carefree (presumably these names relate to the gifts they brought, ie tenderness, playfulness, etc), but I need to know whether these names are correct. Thank you.

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Jonac, I think the names you give are probably those used by Russian companies much later on.

 

This link shows (I hope) the names used originally and in some of the best known later productions up to the mid-1960s - later scholarship may have overwritten some of them, of course.

 

(link comes originally from Dance & Dancers, quoted on balletalert by rg )

 

 

 

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You have inspired me to do a little research as the subject is so interesting.  I was thinking of posting that link, but you beat me to it Jane.  Here I have copied and pasted from several different sources.  The final comment in italics for some names is taken from a Dance Study Aid pubished by Dancing Times in June 1999 .   I feel knowing what the Fairies represent helps understand the choreography so much better.

 

Candide (honesty, purity) 

Candide - Fairy of Purity

Candide, and her name translates as “candour”. As her name suggests, her gift would be the gift of purity and honesty, sincerity and integrity. 

“Conventional movements such as the ‘rocking’ and the ‘caressing’ ones …………stand respectively for ‘baby and ‘purity’.”

* * *

Coulante (flowing), Fleur de farine

Coulante - Fairy of vitality

Fleur de farine, which translates into “wheat flower”. Traditionally, her gift is the gift of beauty, as face powder was produced from the wheat flowers. 

* * *

The Breadcrumb Fairy - Fairy of Generosity

Miettes qui tombent, which literally means “falling breadcrumbs”. She is the embodiment of generosity, as traditional Russian culture views bread as a symbol of welcome and good fortune. As a blessing, breadcrumbs are placed in a baby’s cradle.

“and her gift, that of fertility, depicted, according to an ancient tradition, by the act of spreading breadcrumbs on a baby girl.” 

* * *

Canary - Fairy of Eloquence

Canari qui chante. Unsurprisingly, her gift to the princess is a lovely, melodious voice. 

* * *

Violente - Fairy of Passion

“finger fairy”, as her variation is performed with her index fingers pointing out throughout. Known as Violente, her name means “force”.

“used by Petipa to reproduce the negative and positive poles that “generate” electricity.     …. portrayal of a ‘sparkling temperament’  ……. inspired by the newly installed electrical lighting at the Maryinsky Theatre”

* * *

The Lilac Fairy - Fairy of wisdom

Lilac Fairy, or La Fee des Lilas. The Lilac Fairy is the leader of all the fairies, and she was supposed to bestow the gift of wisdom upon the princess

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I thank each of you for the most helpful responses to my question. I lead a ballet appreciation group in north Hertfordshire (my qualifications for doing so are enthusiasm and a love of ballet, not technical understanding) and am planning a closer look at The Sleeping Beauty for when the group is allowed to resume meetings. Again, thank you.

On 13/02/2021 at 21:54, alison said:

I think those last two are: Canari (check spelling) qui chante and Miettes qui tombent, if we're sticking with French, but I wouldn't like to guarantee if they were the ones used in 1890.

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This is slightly off topic, but I have always hated the solo for the musical fairy (both the music and the choreography). The only dancer I've seen change my mind on this was Sae Maeda, whose beauty and elegance completely took away from what I usually find so irritating about it! 

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2 hours ago, ToThePointe said:

This is slightly off topic, but I have always hated the solo for the musical fairy (both the music and the choreography). The only dancer I've seen change my mind on this was Sae Maeda, whose beauty and elegance completely took away from what I usually find so irritating about it! 

That's a shame - it's actually my favourite of the fairy variations! Although I have to admit to really enjoying them all, which perhaps isn't a universally held view.

 

I have noticed how difficult the lilac fairy solo looks though. I wonder if anyone has good examples of dancers who have performed this particularly well? I remember enjoying watching Claire Calvert dance it on DVD, but I haven't been back to watch it since I became more familiar with Sleeping Beauty.

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On 18/02/2021 at 15:06, ToThePointe said:

Actually I also always dread the Lilac Fairy's solo too - it's so difficult and is rarely made to look easy!

The Lilac Fairy variation used in most productions these days is not by Petipa (the original Lilac Fairy, performed by his daughter Marie, was largely a mime role) but based on the one choreographed by Fyodor Lopukhov.  And yes, it is exceedingly difficult, especially what are referred to as the Italian fouettés (not fouetté turns but half-turns into attitude derrière).   Interestingly, in Diaghilev's 1921 production, this variation was used for a seventh fairy.  Diaghilev interpolated the Sugar Plum variation into the production for his Lilac Fairy - Lydia Lopokova.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have the DVD of a 1994 performance of Anthony Dowell's version of Beauty with Benazir Hussein as the Lilac Fairy, and have always enjoyed watching her performance. So happens that her brother is Nasser Hussein the former England cricket captain; fancy how proud parents must have been, son captain of England, daughter ballerina with the Royal Ballet.

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I always think it would help if cast sheets said which fairy is in which colour tutu as I never know which one is which in Sleeping Beauty unless I know the dancers and then in Swan Lake the different Act3 national dances, apart from the Spanish and Russian which are obvious I never know what is Neapolitan or Hungarian, Polish etc... 

In Sleeping Beauty which fairy is the one that does the flitting dance with "twiddling" fingers solo? 

 

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12 minutes ago, Don Q Fan said:

I always think it would help if cast sheets said which fairy is in which colour tutu as I never know which one is which in Sleeping Beauty unless I know the dancers and then in Swan Lake the different Act3 national dances, apart from the Spanish and Russian which are obvious I never know what is Neapolitan or Hungarian, Polish etc... 

In Sleeping Beauty which fairy is the one that does the flitting dance with "twiddling" fingers solo? 

 

 

In the Royal Ballet’s production, I believe the “Finger Fairy” is the Fairy of the Golden Vine, so it’s the gold and red/brown bodice, a red/brown tutu skirt with golden vine leaves embroidered onto the skirt.  Here’s a photo of Leticia Dias as Golden Vine:  

Leticia Dias as The Fairy of the Golden Vine in The Sleeping Beauty, The Royal Ballet ©2019 ROH. Photograph by Helen Maybanks

 

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On 14/02/2021 at 12:11, Pas de Quatre said:

You have inspired me to do a little research as the subject is so interesting.  I was thinking of posting that link, but you beat me to it Jane.  Here I have copied and pasted from several different sources.  The final comment in italics for some names is taken from a Dance Study Aid pubished by Dancing Times in June 1999 .   I feel knowing what the Fairies represent helps understand the choreography so much better.

 

Candide (honesty, purity) 

Candide - Fairy of Purity

Candide, and her name translates as “candour”. As her name suggests, her gift would be the gift of purity and honesty, sincerity and integrity. 

“Conventional movements such as the ‘rocking’ and the ‘caressing’ ones …………stand respectively for ‘baby and ‘purity’.”

* * *

Coulante (flowing), Fleur de farine

Coulante - Fairy of vitality

Fleur de farine, which translates into “wheat flower”. Traditionally, her gift is the gift of beauty, as face powder was produced from the wheat flowers. 

* * *

The Breadcrumb Fairy - Fairy of Generosity

Miettes qui tombent, which literally means “falling breadcrumbs”. She is the embodiment of generosity, as traditional Russian culture views bread as a symbol of welcome and good fortune. As a blessing, breadcrumbs are placed in a baby’s cradle.

“and her gift, that of fertility, depicted, according to an ancient tradition, by the act of spreading breadcrumbs on a baby girl.” 

* * *

Canary - Fairy of Eloquence

Canari qui chante. Unsurprisingly, her gift to the princess is a lovely, melodious voice. 

* * *

Violente - Fairy of Passion

“finger fairy”, as her variation is performed with her index fingers pointing out throughout. Known as Violente, her name means “force”.

“used by Petipa to reproduce the negative and positive poles that “generate” electricity.     …. portrayal of a ‘sparkling temperament’  ……. inspired by the newly installed electrical lighting at the Maryinsky Theatre”

* * *

The Lilac Fairy - Fairy of wisdom

Lilac Fairy, or La Fee des Lilas. The Lilac Fairy is the leader of all the fairies, and she was supposed to bestow the gift of wisdom upon the princess

 

Thanks, PdQ, that’s great.  Do we know how these translate into the Royal Ballet’s Fairies?  I know Breadcrumb Fairy is Woodland Glade, Canary/Songbird is obvious and Finger Fairy is Golden Vine.  I assume Candour/Purity is Crystal Fountain? Leaving Coulante/Fleur de Farine as...Enchanted Garden? 🤔

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The names for RB Sleeping Beauty as listed on the cast for the current streaming (I just watched again) are exactly those as listed for Sadler's Wells Ballet 1946 production, shown in the link that Jane S posted above, with a spreadsheet of various international productions.  I am afraid I have never understood why these names were chosen.

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I think it is a pity that Ninette de Valois decided to change the Breadcrumb Fairy (Miettes qui tombent) to the nebulous Fairy of the Woodland Glade. As a result we have lost some of the original choreography with the fairy miming the traditional sprinkling of crumbs over the baby's cradle. The current RB version is much less characterful.

 

In his book, Wrights & Wrongs, Sir Peter describes Pauline Clayden performing this variation, talking all the way through it. "I am scattering breadcrumbs here, I'm scattering breadcrumbs up there, down here and everywhere". I am assuming this was before the so-called "Messel" version.

 

So far as I know, only the Mariinsky perform this solo as writ. Here is Olesya Novikova in the Mariinsky's reconstructed version:

 

 

 

Edited by James
Sp
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A lovely clip, but these aren’t the fairy variations. It’s the pas de quatre  from act 3

 

edited to say that this was the clip that came up on my link, although I have since noticed there are others there too. Sorry.

Edited by Odyssey
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2 hours ago, Odyssey said:

A lovely clip, but these aren’t the fairy variations. It’s the pas de quatre  from act 3

 

edited to say that this was the clip that came up on my link, although I have since noticed there are others there too. Sorry.

 

You all know so much more than I do. I saw fairies and thought this was what it was.

 

Edited by Janite
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3 hours ago, Odyssey said:

A lovely clip, but these aren’t the fairy variations. It’s the pas de quatre  from act 3

 

edited to say that this was the clip that came up on my link, although I have since noticed there are others there too. Sorry.

 

It’s the Act 3 pas de quatre that comes up for me, too - although just to add to the confusion, nowadays it’s a pas de trois in the Royal Ballet production; Prince Florestan and his (two) sisters.

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