S EEPING BEAU Y L T
watch the enchanting story unfold
CALEB LEITCH’S THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
OUR SPONSORS
It is a tale of love, magic, and transformation, and we are thrilled to bring this enchanting story to life on stage for you all as our inaugural production.
Dear community members,
Thank you so much for joining us at Washington Ballet Academy’s inaugural performance of The Sleeping Beauty. When deciding what our first performance should be, I was moved by the history of The Sleeping Beauty and its legendary status in the ballet community and beyond. Following the end of World War II, in 1946, The Sadler Wells (now known as The Royal Ballet) in London performed The Sleeping Beauty as the world began to heal. Although their costumes were fashioned from paper, and their sets were constructed from the rubble of the war years, The Sleeping Beauty offered a reawakening and ushered in a new wave of hope for the future. To me, The Sleeping Beauty represents the past and the future coming together in a time where community and healing was paramount.
The Sleeping Beauty has been performed by many major ballet companies around the world and is known for its elegance, technical demands, musical prowess, and timeless choreography. And of course, it is what led to the creation of the classic Disney film, Sleeping Beauty. As a child, I fell in love with this film, and it inspired my appreciation of music, art, and movement. As my passion grew, I knew I wanted to create beautiful pictures on stage. This production offers me an incredible opportunity to not only fulfill my childhood dreams, but also to share the beauty of the performing arts with my community and the next generation.
As a new academy, we are thrilled to share this moment with you and I hope you will join us in appreciating this magical experience and witnessing the growth of these young artists.
On behalf of the students and faculty at Washington Ballet Academy I want to thank you for your continued support. Your presence in the audience means the world to us, and we can’t wait to perform for you.
Sincerely,
Caleb B. Leitch
THE WABA TEAM
CALEB LEITCH FOUNDER & DIRECTOR CHOREOGRAPHER
JANIS FACULTY MEMBER, BALLET
FRANCHESKA CANNONE BARNHART FINANCE & OPERATIONS
JESSICA NELSON MARKETING & DESIGN
KATIE
PRINCIPAL GUEST ARTISTS
ABBY JAYNE DEANGELO
Abby Jayne DeAngelo formed and trained in the art of ballet from the renowned Marcia Dale Weary of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) in her hometown of Carlisle, PA She desires to replicate her foundation of ballet technique to the next generation of dancers As a teacher, she shares her passion for finding beauty in life to guide the joy of ballet training in the studio and developing strength and skills by breaking down the mechanics of the human body as demonstrated in the movements of ballet
Founding Adage Ballet Academy in Seattle, WA in March 2021, her copious teaching experience also includes: teaching Levels 17 at CPYB and demonstrating for CPYB’s Teacher’s Workshop (2005-2015), private coaching since 2018, leading virtual classes with Ballet Together (2020), and guest teaching at Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh (2020)
Abby Jayne moved from Carlisle in 2016 when she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) as a Professional Division Student (20162018), and she was promoted to Apprentice and Corps de Ballet member in 2019 Her favorite roles with PNB include Marzipan and Columbine in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Stepsister in Kent Stowell’s Cinderella, Eva Stone's F O I L and the Pas de Deux in Margarita Armas’ Kawsay.
GUILLAUME BASSO
Originally from Dijon, France, Guillaume Basso, received his ballet training from Sylvain Boniface at the Conservatory of Dijon and Bernard Boucher at Paris Opera Ballet Guillaume danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet from 2015 - 2022. While with PNB, Guillaume danced several key roles in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Nutcracker, including Mouse King, Soldier Doll and Mother Ginger He has captured the audience's attention as Puss in Boots in Ronald Hynd’s Sleeping Beauty, Harlequin in Kent Stowell’s Cinderella, and in the Pas de Deux of Margarita Armas’ premiere film, Kawsay Guillaume has earned accolades as a semi-finalist in 2010 Prix de Lausanne and 2014 Jackson International Ballet Competition Before dancing with PNB, Guillaume performed with Joffrey Ballet and Houston Ballet II.
PRINCIPAL GUEST ARTISTS
LUCY INGALLS
DEVIN GRIFFITH
ELISE HUEFFED
CLAIRE SAWADA-RAECE
THE ROYAL COURT
PRINCESS AURORA
ABBY JAYNE DEANGELO
The Princess of a fairytale kingdom
PRINCE DESIREE
GUILLAUME BASSO
A kindhearted prince
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
TOPHER MURPHY
Royal planner of festivities that forgets to invite Carabosse
KING & QUEEN PAPILLON
STEVE JANIS & BREANN DEL CASTILLO
Princess Aurora’s parents
THE NURSE
DR. CHRISTINE JANIS
Princess Aurora’s childhood nurse
CARABOSSE
SUSAN MATLEY
A grumpy fairy that curses Aurora with a spindle
CHARACTERS
PRINCESS FLORINE
HALEY MAGNAGHI
Enchanted Princess with dreams of flying
BLUE BIRD
EMMETT LEWIS
An enchanted bird teaching Princess Florine to fly
LITTLE BIRDS
LILY TEAL
MORGAN BERRY
THE WHITE CAT
ISABELLE DALAN
A feisty feline playing hard to get with Puss in Boots
PUSS IN BOOTS
RUSSELL SKORINA
A suave feline fawning after the White Cat
RED RIDING HOOD
THE GREY WOLF
STIRN MAYLAND
CORDELIA MILLETT
THE
FAIRIES
Our fairytale kingdom is inhabited by many fairies, all of whom respect the Lilac Fairy and fear the Fairy of Darkness, Carabosse.
THE LILAC FAIRY LUCY INGALLS
CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN FAIRY
HALEY MAGNAGHI
ENCHANTED GARDEN FAIRY
ELISE HUEFFED
FAIRY OF SONGBIRDS
DEVIN GRIFFITH
THE FAIRY OF GOLDEN VINES
CLAIRE SAWADA-REECE
LILAC FAIRY ATENDANTS
CASSIA CARMEN
GAHBAUER
ZARA TOLSON
LONDON TOWNSEND
FRANKIE DIDYOUNG
ISAACS MALAND
CHALMERS MALAND
DALIYAH CARONA
LITTLE FAIRIES
VIENNA TOWNSEND
MADISON GRANDSTAFF
FLORENCE LY
CHALMERS MALAND
FRANCIS LY
THE PRECIOUS JEWELS
GOLD
DEVIN GRIFFITH
SILVER
CLAIRE SAWADA-REECE
SAPPHIRE
LUCY INGALLS
DIAMOND
ELISE HUEFFED
COMING SPRING 2025 FALL DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
I N W O N D E R L A N D
ACT1
OVERVIEW
OVERTUREANDAURORA’S CHRISTENING FAIRIESPRESENTGIFTS
CARABOSSECURSES
~16YEARSLATER~
AURORA’SBIRTHDAY
AURORAPRICKSHERFINGER
LILACFAIRYPUTS EVERYONETOSLEEP
ACT 2
~ 100 YEARS LATER ~
A TIRED PRINCE DESIREE SEEKS REFUGE IN THE CASTLE
PRINCESS AURORA VISITS THE PRINCE IN HIS DREAM
DESIREE SEARCHES THE CASTLE TO FIND THE PRINCESS TO AWAKEN HER WITH TRUE LOVES KISS
FAIRY KINGDOM REJOICES IN CELEBRATION OF THE ROYAL WEDDING
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
ACT I
Aurora’s Cristening
King Florestan and his Queen have invited all the Fairies to attend the christening of their beloved only child, the Princess Aurora. As Aurora’s godparents, they present their gifts.
The Curse
Unfortunately no one has remembered to invite the ill-natured Fairy Carabosse She arrives in a fury and, presenting a curse as her gift, foretells that Aurora will one day prick her finger and die. The whole court is in despair, but happily the Lilac Fairy has not yet bestowed her gift. Though she cannot remove Carabosse ’s curse, she can change it Princess Aurora will not die Instead she will sleep for a hundred years and then be awakened by the kiss of a handsome prince.
16th Birthday
Time passes and 16 years later we are celebrating Princess Aurora’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone dances and rejoyces untill Aurora is presented with a strage new birthday gift. She dances and shows of her new gift for all to see till she accidently pricks her finger Everyone is aghast as Aurora falls, apparently lifeless. Just then the Lilac Fairy appears and casts a spell so that the whole court falls asleep while a magic forest grows up around the castle to keep it safe for a hundred years.
ACT II
The Vision
It is a hundred years later and tired Prince Desiree seeks shelter in a seemingly abandoned castle. The Lilac Fairy shows him a vision of Princess Aurora. Enraptured, he begs the Fairy to lead him to this beautiful vision and together they travel through the castle where he awakens the Princess Aurora with true loves kiss. This breaks the spell and Carabosse is banished by the Lilac Fairy.
The Wedding
The fairytale kingdom joins to celebrate the union of the happy couple. The Storybook Characters, Precious Jewels and Fairies join together to dance in celebration. Lilac Fairy appears to bless the marriage and they all lived happily ever after.
PRODUCTION & CREDITS
DIRECTORS
CALEB LEITCH & KATIE JANIS
CHOREOGRAPHY
CALEB LETICH, KATIE JANIS, GUILLAUME BASSO
ADDITIONAL STAGING
ABBY JAYNE DEANGELO
MUSIC
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
COSTUMES GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY MID COLUMBIA BALLET
ADAGE BALLET ACADEMY
WALLA WALLA SUMMER THEATRE
HARPER JOY THEATER
STAGE DIRECTOR
CHRISTA BRADFORD
SET DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
AMY LY
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
CONNOR ANDERSON
LIGHTING DESIGN
CALEB LEITCH
KATIE JANIS
CONNOR ANDERSON
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY THE ARCHIVE STUDIO
STAGE CREW CINDY MOON DENINZ BEAN SARAH BADER ISABELLE LEWIS
ASPECIALTHANKSTOALLOURPARENTSAND VOLUNTEERSTOMAKETHISSHOWPOSSIBLE
QUICK LINKS
We will begin our sessions with a placement week to determine the level of each dancer. Applies for ages 7+