Taylor Stanley Debuts as Carabosse in NYCB’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’

Taylor Stanley, who uses he/they pronouns, will be the first male-identifying dancer to perform the role of Carabosse in New York City Ballet’s production of The Sleeping Beauty. Stanley first requested the casting in 2023 and was turned down, but after pressing the matter again he went to Peter Martins, who choreographed the production, and Martins agreed.

Carabosse is a glamorous but vindictive fairy who crashes Princess Aurora’s christening and casts the spell that sends Aurora to sleep for 100 years. Stanley, who has taken to character roles at City Ballet — including Drosselmeier in The Nutcracker and Dr. Coppélius in Coppélia — said those parts have felt like “invitations to explore queerness” and helped lead him to this role.

He described the role as an opportunity to inhabit female energy without feeling like a man playing a woman, and said rehearsing the part has pushed him to shed apologetic habits and stand taller.

United States, New York City

taylor stanley, carabosse, nycb, sleeping beauty, peter martins, drosselmeier, coppélia, queerness, pronouns, male-identifying