Pure Ballet Ballet

Tucsonā€™s ā€˜Sleeping Beautyā€™ brings fairytale ballet to stage with impressive new male principal

Isaiah Sumler is the big news at Ballet Tucson. The companyā€™s new male principal dancer is ā€œimpressive physically with a really elegant presence,ā€ says artistic director Mary Beth Cabana. ā€œHe has a real star quality.ā€

Sumler, a Spokane native who trained at the Rock School in Pennsylvania, will dance his first full narrative ballet for Ballet Tucson this weekend in the companyā€™s revival of ā€œSleeping Beauty.ā€ The beloved fairytale ballet, now 125 years old, was originally choreographed by Petipa to music by Tchaikovsy; it debuted in 1890.

Playing the romantic lead of DĆ©sirĆ©, the prince who awakens Sleeping Beauty with a kiss, Sumler will partner with Ballet Tucsonā€™s longtime prima ballerina Jenna Johnson. The gifted Johnson is Princess Aurora, the princess who sleeps for 100 years.

ā€œJenna is dancing beautifully,ā€ Cabana says.

For the last several years, Sumler was dancing with the now-defunct Company C Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco. When Company C was preparing to shut down, Cabana flew to the Bay Area to see the last show and after seeing his performance immediately offered a spot to Sumler in her company. He came to Ballet Tucson last fall for a trial run as a guest artist.

ā€œHe liked it so much he accepted a contract for a full year,ā€ Cabana says.

Cabana also hired Company C dancer Megan Steffens. In ā€œSleeping Beauty,ā€ Steffens will perform the Bluebird pas de deux, the balletā€™s second biggest female role, and sheā€™ll understudy Aurora.

ā€œBoth Isaiah and Megan are strong in both contemporary and classical dance,ā€ Cabana says. The troupe requires both, especially in its annual ā€œDance & Dessertā€ concert, which always showcases dance styles from classical to modern.

But ā€œSleeping Beautyā€ is pure ballet.

The sumptuous fairy tale dance is performed by a cast of 85, including the companyā€™s 28 professional dancers and apprentices, along with advanced students and children from the Ballet Arts school. Ballet Tucson has twice before performed ā€œSleeping Beauty,ā€ in 2005 and 2009. Choreography credit goes to Cabana, assistant artistic director Chieko Imada and former company choreographer Mark Schneider. For this yearā€™s version, balletmaster Daniel Precup made a few changes of his own.

The movement is classic ballet, with lovely dancing by the fairies who come to Auroraā€™s christening and show stopping pas de deux and solos by the Aurora and her prince. There are also folkloric peasant dances, a wicked comedy turn by the wicked fairy Carabosse (played by the always engaging Deanna Doncsecz) and unexpected performances from the likes of Puss ā€˜nā€™ Boots, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood.

The elaborate sets conjure up the palace gardens and the palace interior where Aurora is christened. Itā€™s at the christening that Carabosse, the furious fairy who wasnā€™t invited, places a curse on the baby, declaring that Aurora will die at age 16 after pricking her finger on a spindle. And itā€™s here that the kindly Lilac Fairy (Taylor Johnson) does what she can to mitigate the spell: Aurora will not die, only sleep for 100 years until sheā€™s awakened by a kiss.

ā€œWeā€™re excited about the show,ā€ Cabana says. ā€œAt heart Iā€™m a classical ballet dancer, and I really enjoy telling a ballet story. Itā€™s fun.ā€ lamus.