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Cinderella

posted 11 years ago by jabell
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As Ballet West didn't put out a DVD of Cinderella, I bought the Royal Birmingham Ballet's version. It was quite a bit different from Ballet West's, I think. Christiana didn't dance in bare feet in the first & third acts, but theirs did (she had lovely feet BTW). The stepsisters were danced by women; their characters were Dumpy (in a fat suit) and Skinny, who was really quite pretty. There were a dancing frog, two lizards, and two mice, none of which were explained. Also there were no Napoleon & Wellington. The stepsisters pursued the Master of Ceremonies and one of the servants, who was carrying food. The fairy godmother had the most awful wig! I'm glad I watched it, but I didn't really enjoy 90% of the music and the choreography was not my favorite, either. Not a single fouette or pas de poisson (fish dive). The fairies' costumes were much nicer in BW too.

I would love to get the BW version.

Boo Hoo! Let me wipe away the tears with my PLASTIC hand!--Lindsey McDonald (Angel)

[–] ciocio-2 11 years ago

Ballet West was working on the version created by Frederick Ashton for what evolved into the Royal Ballet, from London. The first Cinderella in that version was, of course, Margot Fonteyn, of whom you've probably seen many photos in the role. I don't know, but wouldn't be surprised if there is a video of it around (apparently the Joffrey is the other US company allowed to perform it). In various other versions, the stepsisters and stepmother are often played by men, but also often by women, and frequently with the stepmother played by a man and the stepsisters by women). I think Ashton's is the only version with the characters of Napoleon and Bonaparte.

There are many other ballet versions of CINDERELLA using Prokofiev's score (and some using other music). One I love that I'm pretty sure is available on DVD is Rudolf Nureyev's, for the Paris Opera Ballet (set in 1930s Hollywood--wonderful!). I remember a PBS telecast of a beautiful production by the San Francisco Ballet, starring Evelyn Cisneros, sometime in the early '90s, I think (not sure who choreographed). A strange and moving one that is possible to find on DVD is by Maguy Marin, for the Lyon National Opera Ballet. Of course the ballet was first created in Russia (at the Bolshoi, I think), and you can find at least clips from some Russian versions on youtube. Here's a link to part one of a TV version of the Bolshoi's production, from 1960, in which Cinderella looks like Pippi Longstocking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO0rj2gqXs4

Here's a short video from a 1950s TV program, with a bit of Margot F. dancing and acting as Cinderella: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBu18RAuqqQ

Here's what came up on youtube when I searched for "Ashton's Cinderella": https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ashton%27s+cinderella&amp ; ; ;oq=Ashton%27s+&gs_l=youtube.1.0.0l2j0i10j0l7.10614.13823.0.16216. 9.8.0.1.1.0.167.869.2j6.8.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.4lU3_4hLzag

Oh! I just found what looks to be maybe a full video of the Royal Ballet doing Ashton's production in 1969, with the lovely Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell starring (the length seems a little short, at an hour and 42 minutes, but maybe Ashton cut a lot of the music that often gets cut--the complete score is pretty long for a ballet).: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW2sgZA1G1U

Multiplex: 100+ shows a day, NONE worth watching. John Sayles' latest: NO distribution. SAD.