`BEAUTY' REBORN.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET SEATTLE OPERA HOUSE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON FEBRUARY 1-11, 2001

Anyone who saw Margot Fonteyn dance Aurora in New York in 1949 in Sir Frederick Ashton's Sleeping Beauty was marked for life by the charm of her performance and the magical quality of English style--Ashton's expressive molding of Russian technique. Pacific Northwest Ballet's new Beauty, choreographed by former Royal Ballet principal Ronald Hynd firmly after Petipa, while not always perfectly danced the opening weekend, nevertheless succeeded in evoking much of the enchantment of a half-century ago.

Hynd's Beauty takes dancers and audience the whole nine yards in prologue and three acts, with some twists that are entirely his own. Carabosse makes a flying entrance in the Prologue, for example, and departs the same way in a puff of smoke. Before Prince Florimund awakens Aurora at the end of Act II, he kills the wicked fairy with a sword given magical powers by Lilac. Carabosse here has no retinue of rats, but makes use of some Freudian snakes to terrorize the court.

Thanks to coaching by Hynd, Annette Page, and Amanda Eyles, PNB's dancers--from the principals right down to the tiny pages from the school--have by and large mastered the rounded, fluid port de bras and softened line that are the hallmarks of English style. They have learned to take their time telling the story in impeccably clear movement and mime, no mean feat for a company known for its command of a more streamlined Balanchinean style and an increasingly eclectic repertoire.

Aurora's role is especially challenging, technically and dramatically, demanding innocent exuberance tinged with shyness in Act I and regal assurance in Act III. Louise Nadeau was a miracle of musicality and youthful joie de vivre; Jeffrey Stanton made a convincing transition from a bored Prince Florimund to a man in love, awakening his princess with an achingly tender kiss. Their partnering was close to perfect in the Wedding Pas de Deux.

Patricia Barker, partnered aristocratically but coldly by Stanko Milov opening night, was a dewy, winsome teenager in Act I and danced with fleet and sharp attack in the Wedding Pas de Deux. Kaori Nakamura also acquitted herself well, although Olivier Wevers was a surprisingly wimpy prince, technically fine but dramatically pallid. He was much better as Carabosse: brilliantly evil, his gestures conveying resentment as well as mischief, depilating Catalabutte one hair at a time.

As the Lilac Fairy, Ariana Lallone danced with far more authority after opening night, the fiendishly difficult Prologue variation going much more smoothly. Kimberly Davey and Lisa Apple also got a crack at this pivotal role; both were lovely in the Vision as they guided a bewitched Florimund to his destiny.

Carrie Imler was a knockout in every role she danced, her Fairy of Wit variation tossed off with the insouciant elan of a tap dancer, her variation in the third act Gold and Silver Pas de Trois a glittering standout. When Imler dances, you don't want to blink. Christophe Maraval, a bit too chi-chi in Gold on opening night, was nevertheless an aristocratic Florimund and Duke of Aquitaine. None of the four Bluebirds I saw were quite flexible enough in the torso to achieve that bird-breasted curve; however, Seth Belliston, dancing with Nadeau, was clearly having a wonderful time, and both infused their dancing with fluttering avian speed.

Peter Docherty's delightful set has metal pieces of leafy design, reminiscent of Noguchi's more abstract sets for Martha Graham, and a boat for Lilac and the Prince that echoes their detail. Costumes accessorized with neon purple feathers and cloth of gold seemed more suitable for Caesar's Palace than for a king's.