Learn How Our Artists Get Their Beauty Sleep in Preparation for The Sleeping Beauty This Weekend
The Sleeping Beauty is a classical ballet that has been beloved worldwide for more than 130 years. It features the traditional fairy tale story of a princess cursed to eternal sleep who is awoken by true love’s kiss. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) will present The Sleeping Beauty May 19-21, 2023 at the Benedum Center.
While Princess Aurora never got the opportunity to prepare for her deep sleep, we asked some of the PBT artists what their favorite bedtime ritual is before they go to sleep each night.
Tickets and show information for The Sleeping Beauty can be found at pbt.org.
Hannah Carter
Principal Dancer at PBT
Roles in The Sleeping Beauty: Princess Aurora, Lilac Fairy
“I love my bed! I love my bed so much! If it was up to me I would get into bed every night as soon as my son is down, I’ve had dinner and showered! But my husband is the complete opposite, so we meet in the middle and I’m usually in bed about 10 pm. As someone that sits at a desk all day, he is very ready to be active and busy in the evenings while I am exhausted and just want to relax. If my body is feeling achy and I’ve had a hard day I usually have an Epsom salt bath (which I love as much as my bed) before I shower and usually take that time to do some extra skin care as well like a face mask or ice rolling, eye patches etc. After I’ve picked up the toys and cleaned the kitchen from dinner we like to sit down and watch an episode or two of whatever tv series we have going at the time, I usually last about 15 minutes before I fall asleep… and then wake up to my husband telling me I should go upstairs to bed, which I’ll happily oblige!”
Tommie Lin O’Hanlon
Soloist at PBT
Roles in The Sleeping Beauty: Princess Aurora, Princess Florine, Energy Fairy
“My favorite routine before I go to sleep includes lots of self-care! After getting in the door and playing with my puppies, I enjoy taking an Epsom salt bath to relax and soothe my sore muscles from the long rehearsal day I just had. Next, I shower and remove my makeup, starting my skincare routine. I double cleanse to make sure I’ve got all the sweat from the day off. When I get out of the shower, I actually sit with my feet in an ice bucket as I put all my “lotions and potions” on (such a great hack if you wanna multitask!).
After all that, I have dinner and relax on the couch for a while. Usually, I’m sewing pointe shoes during this step! Finally, I crawl into bed with my adorable little Frenchies, Pork and Beans, and we get our BEAUTY SLEEP! In true Aurora fashion!!”
JoAnna Schmidt
Soloist at PBT
Roles in The Sleeping Beauty: Princess Aurora, Abundance Fairy, Diamond Jewel
“Lately, I’ve been falling asleep on the couch for a bit with my dog, Tiger. That’s after we’ve been listening to NPR on the radio or watching a silly TV show, like Broad City or Fresh Prince. Then, one of us decides it’s time to migrate to the bed. So I’ll wash my face, brush my teeth, and I’ve been putting some magnesium spray on my ankle, as of late. After that, I’m usually asleep pretty quickly, but if not, I might do a guided meditation or some light reading.”