Sleeping Beauty

June 1, 7 and 8, 8 p.m.; June 2, 3 and 9, 2 p.m., Pennsylvania Ballet, Academy of Music, Broad and Locust streets

by Janet Anderson

dance

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When the curtain comes down on Pennsylvania Ballet's glamorous season closer Sleeping Beauty, soloist Valerie Amiss will take her last bow. During her 15 years with the company, she has performed everything from Swan Lake to Twyla Tharp. "Retiring is totally a decision of the heart," says Amiss, 32. "I don't want to look back and say I wish I'd had my kids when I was younger." She's married to former PAB dancer Ed Cieslak, who now teaches third grade and helps raise their 4-year-old son, Adam. Amiss is a Jersey girl who began ballet at age 8. "I loved moving around to music," she remembers. "It was my mom who thought I had so much energy, ballet would be good for me." Her auto mechanic dad and postal worker mom had to take out loans when she started at Pennsylvania Ballet School. By year two, she was on scholarship. After graduating, she became a Pennsylvania Ballet apprentice, and a corps member the next year. "I am not afraid to leave," says Amiss, who will teach ballet in New Jersey. "Dance is in me and always will be there." She'll dance three roles over Sleeping Beauty's run: Lilac Fairy, the Pas de Trois and Bluebird. Amiss chose Bluebird — which requires quickness and razor-sharp technique — for her final performance. "It reflects my personality. I am always flitting around. I love the feeling of being free like a bird, and have no worries performing this role."

Sleeping Beauty, June 1, 7 and 8, 8 p.m.; June 2, 3 and 9, 2 p.m., $15.50-$76, Pennsylvania Ballet, Academy of Music, Broad and Locust streets, 215-893-1999.