The hidden world behind The Sleeping Beauty pictured at Birmingham Hippodrome
It's a glimpse into a hidden world as dancers prepare to bring one of the grandest ballets ever created to life on stage.
From ballerinas tying up the ribbons on their pointe shoes to the finishing touches being put to costumes and make-up, these photographs taken at Birmingham Hippodrome capture scenes the audience doesn't normally get to see.
They were taken by dancer and photographer Ty Singleton during a show of Sir Peter Wright’s The Sleeping Beauty to reveal what life is like inside the wings of the theatre.
One dancer stands preparing for their moment under the spotlights while others can be seen making sure their costumes and shoes are perfect before they enter the stage.
The photographs also show the view of the performance the dancers have while waiting to go on stage.
With a classical score by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Marius Petipa, the mixture of virtuoso dance, fairy tale characters and dazzling spectacle, has delighted audiences for more than 100 years.
Resplendent in a shimmering palette of blush pink and gold, the wardrobe of The Sleeping Beauty is the largest and most complex of any ballet in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s repertory.
The expert costume and wig departments begin work as soon as the ballet is announced, preparing themselves for months of repairing and renovating original costumes, dressing wigs and ponytails, fitting new costumes on dancers and ensuring every fine detail will be ready for the opening night of The Sleeping Beauty.
There are 66 wigs, 31 ponytails and one beard in The Sleeping Beauty, all prepared and applied by the dedicated team.
There are 40 rails of costumes and 17 wicker skips in The Sleeping Beauty wardrobe – including four rails of Princess Aurora tutus alone.
The dancer playing Princess Aurora wears three tutus throughout the ballet. With nine ballerinas cast in the lead role, each with their own complete set of costumes, the wardrobe team must prepare 27 Aurora tutus.
Throughout the run of The Sleeping Beauty, the costume staff can spend up to three hours each day repairing costumes.
The Sleeping Beauty, which ran at Birmingham Hippodrome from February 13 to 24 produces so much laundry that the washing machines are in constant use throughout the show.
The wardrobe includes eight baskets of shoes – some ballerinas will use 10 pairs of pointe shoes or more throughout the tour.
