NYCB Vol. 6 No. 25 - Sleeping Beauty

"In the original 1890 Mariinsky production, she was portrayed by the great Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti. But Peter Martins, who choreographed the NYCB production, envisioned her as glamorous woman, evil but enticing. Ms. Ashley came to relish that interpretation as she fine-tuned each detail. 'If Carabosse were ugly, you'd walk a certain way, but because she's beautiful, you walk tall and she becomes this towering feminine presence,' says Ms. Ashley."--Terry Trucco for Playbill, 2004.

Merrill Ashley as Carabosse. Photo by Martha Swope, 1991.