All about the fairies in The Sleeping Beauty

In Scottish Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty, humans and fairies live happily side by side. Six fairies from the enchanted forest are invited to Aurora's Christening, and they arrive bearing gifts which represent the qualities embodied by each fairy.

From left to right:

- The Fairy of Angelic Temperament gives Aurora the gift of angelic temperament, symbolised by a Russian Doll.

- The Fairy of Beauty gives Aurora the gift of beauty, symbolised by a vintage vanity case.

- The Fairy of Grace gives Aurora the gift of grace, symbolised by a pair of ballet slippers.

- The Fairy of Song gives Aurora the gift of music, symbolised by a flute.

- The Fairy of Wisdom gives Aurora the gift of wisdom, symbolised by a book.

- The Lilac Fairy gives Aurora the gifts of truth and virtue. She also softens Carabosse's evil curse on Aurora so that she will sleep for 100 years.

Watch video: The Fairy Dance

Listen to the fairy dance music

Carabosse

Carabosse is the Lilac Fairy's twin sister and has chosen to live a wicked life, and so she was not invited to Aurora's Christening. She arrives at the Christening and places the curse on Aurora as revenge.

More about Carabosse.

Fairy Facts

• Fairytales appear in many different art cultures and they are represented in books, pictures, films and paintings as well as many ballets (Ashley Page’s Cinderella has fairies for the four seasons).
• People in different cultures have long believed in the mystical powers of fairies and the mischief they can cause. 
• In many Scots tales, the fairies are responsible for very dark deeds like snatching babies, changing the form of adults and children, and setting curses on those that displease them. Scots people often left cakes, butter and cream to please the fairies.