SLEEPER HIT THE KIROV BALLET BRINGS A CHILDREN'S CLASSIC TO THE MUSIC CENTER.

Byline: Vicki Smith Paluch Correspondent

When Russia's esteemed Kirov Ballet leaps onto the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion next week, it's the only time you'll see tutus during the 2005-06 season of Dance at the Music Center.

``And you'll see lots of them,'' notes Renae Williams, manager of dance presentations at the Music Center.

The legendary Kirov Ballet will perform the seldom-produced three-act ballet ``The Sleeping Beauty.'' Considered the crowning jewel of Marius Petipa's choreographic career, the ballet is a grandiose yet refined telling of the popular fairy tale set to the lush score by Tchaikovsky.

And when Williams says you'll see a lot of tutus, she means it.

``This truly is the largest production Dance at the Music Center has put on to date.''

In addition to the Kirov's 90 dancers and 70 members of the Maryinsky Orchestra, 20 wardrobe crew members and 100 technical crew members, Williams is coordinating the 40 local dance students and adults who will fill out the stage.

Much of today's audience knows the story - a baby princess is cursed by an evil fairy to die on her 16th birthday - through its interpretation by Walt Disney. The three-act ballet ran four hours when it was created in 1890, but on this tour the Kirov is bringing a version that trims about 20 minutes of pantomime, character and national dances.

In revising the work in 1952, the then-artistic director of the Kirov, Konstanin Sergeyev, refocused the ballet onto the dancing itself, keeping enough pantomime to convey the essence of the story. His version is more popular and better-known in the West, says ballet impresario Sergei Danilian. ``It is the most influential production of 'The Sleeping Beauty.' Rudolph Nureyev used this version in his staging for the Paris Opera Ballet.''

Danilian says that the Kirov is bringing all of its major dancers on tour. For example, on opening night, audiences will see Diana Vishneva, who will dance the lead role of Princess Aurora. Also appearing are Igor Zelensky as Prince Desire, Uliana Lopatkina as Lilac Fairy, and Daria Pavlenko and Anton Korsakov in the Bluebird pas de deux.

Vishneva is considered by many to be the perfect example of the purity of the Kirov style. Not only is she an exquisite technician but also she continues the Kirov's tradition of dramatic dancing. Her Princess Aurora has been called dazzling by the European and New York press.

One of the most difficult dances in the classical repertoire belongs to Aurora. The Rose Adagio is the famous dance in which the princess blooms into womanhood, accepting the hand and a rose from prospective suitors while holding a breathtaking series of balances on pointe. But in her joyous solo, she pricks her finger on a spindle and sets the fairy's curse in motion.

From that fateful finger-prick, the ballet is off and running with a remarkable assortment of solos, pas de deux and character dances including Lilac Fairy, Tenderness Fairy, Diamond Fairy, the Bluebird pas de deux, and the duets of beloved fairy tale characters who serve as entertainment at the wedding, including Puss-and-Boots, Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf.

Tutus, however, won't be in fashion during the rest of the Dance at the Music Center season, which includes performances by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in February, Limon Dance Company in March, Nuevo Ballet Espanol in April and Miami City Ballet in June.

But the Music Center wanted the Kirov to bring ``The Sleeping Beauty'' because ``it's a perfect fit for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion,'' Williams says, noting the ballet itself is not performed frequently because of its sheer size.

``This is an opportunity for families to see one of the most beloved story ballets presented as it should be,'' she said. ``Seeing the Kirov dance 'The Sleeping Beauty' is a shared experience that doesn't happen often.''

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

What: Russia's famed Kirov ballet performs the classic work.

Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: Opening night 8 p.m. Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6-8, 2 p.m. Oct. 9.

Tickets: $25 to $115. Call [phone] or online at www.musiccenter.org/dance.html.

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