Dancer Eve rehearsed role as real-life mum
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MAYBE it’s no surprise that Scottish Ballet soloist Eve Mutso’s daughter loves dancing.
Eve was pregnant with Hele-Riin three and a half years ago when she last played Sleeping Beauty’s mum.
Next week Eve is back when the show returns to Eden Court.
And once again she will be combining the roles of Queen and Lilac Fairy.
Eve, an Estonian, pictured, recalled the last time: "I guess I was in a different place and I enjoyed it, but I was probably a little bit more careful onstage doing the jumps and turns!"
Eve laughed at the idea her own daughter – if she’d been a little older – could have doubled as the baby Princess Aurora or Sleeping Beauty.
In artistic director Ashley Page’s version, the evil fairy Carabosse and her gobliny daughters are throwing everything around in the little princess’s christening scene.
"Maybe it is better that the baby is a doll in that scene," laughed Eve. "They use the baby to express their anger!"
Eve – who had been dancing with the Estonian National Ballet after leaving ballet school inthe country’s capital Tallinn – was one of the group of international dancers brought in by Ashley Page when he took charge at Scottish Ballet back in 2003.
Eve recalled: "When I first came to Scotland, I didn’t speak very good in English. But after six months I felt more relaxed and not so scared of talking.
"But at first I found it hard sometimes to understand the Scottish accent. Now I enjoy meeting Scottish people – they are always so friendly."
Eve also enjoyed the chance to be part of the group of dancers arriving with her from all over the world.
"Seven or eight other new dancers came here at the same time, and it was good to be part of the new start. I didn’t feel like I was the new girl when there was a bigger group of us arriving together."
"I was like a sponge.
"I learned so much from all the other dancers who came from other countries and other schools.
"Being here has been a big learning curve for me and it has been very interesting."
Though Eve had learned the role of the Lilac Fairy from Sleeping Beauty in Tallinn, she had never got the chance to perform it.
"The version I learned in Estonia was more classical – Ashley’s choreography is much edgier and darker."
The unusual costumes in Sleeping Beauty have also meant the odd challenge for Eve.
As the queen, she wears a stunning 1930s outfit at one point in the show – with an enormous hat.
"It’s a beautiful Coco Chanel-style costume with gloves, jewellery and the hat.
"For that scene, I have a quick change and there are lots of pins going through my scalp to keep it in place.
"But the costume team in the wings are on top of their game and we wouldn’t look as good – and as natural – dancing without them.
"When you are training in the studio, it is a completely different story to when you are in costume.
"With big costumes, you have to learn to push to make the movement work."
Eve likes to help audiences get the magic of Scottish Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty with the live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s ravishing music.
"I enjoy explaining how it all works and giving some insight maybe into how we bring a big production together – it is hard work.
"But the audience seems to enjoy the magic of this ballet – it is selling out!"
Before she was even born, Eve’s daughter might have caught the dancing bug from her mum.
Eve said: "Hele-Riin does like the music and she dances around the house. After she has seen me onstage, I come home and she says ‘I’m going on my toes like Mummy does!’"
Scottish Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty opens on Wednesday at Eden Court and runs until next Saturday. For ticket information, phone box office on 01463 234234.
