A fun and enchanting twist on an old classic
Whoever thought Ballet is always an incredibly serious, pompous and aloof art form – has not seen Cinders! The Scottish Ballet returns for their playful imagining of a childhood classic story with enthralling music, enchanting dancing, and enough laughter to keep you smiling all night.
For some, the idea of seeing a ballet show sounds like the most boring idea possible. Two hours of music, dancing and no dialogue? How do you know what the story is? Doesn’t it get boring? Cinders! is possibly the best example in recent memory of ballet that is approachable for first timers, indulging its audience in all the beauty and splendour that ballet offers while keeping it palatable with an easy to follow story, expertly choreographed emotive dances, and a healthy dose of whimsical physical comedy.
From the opening minute, the music (originally composed by Sergei Prokofiev) and set enthrals the senses in every scene, with cinematic lighting carefully conveying the moods in every scene, often highlighting the absolutely breathtaking costumes by Elin Steele. Continually Cinders! had otherworldly aesthetics, from the Art Nouveau sets, the elegance and unique costumes with delicate floral lacing that caught the eye whether worn on a side character or on the principal dancers while they gracefully pirouetted. Each character has their own clearly defined personalities both in their performances and musical motifs, bringing a level of connectivity often hard to come by in ballet. For example, the bassoons highlight the three sisters clumsy nature during dances, but more delicate strings contrast to show Cinder’s elegance. Overall, the orchestra was superb, often you felt like the conductor was controlling your breaths as well as being a puppeteer for the artists on stage as they dance in all their majesty to a powerful, romantic score.
One of the great additions from Scottish Ballet’s interpretation of the Cinderella story was the injection of physical comedy into a number of the scenes, mostly confined to the three sisters who constantly attempt to dance and glide across the stage like Cinders does. The laughs were unexpected on my part and really helped to let you relax into what was, in hindsight, a somewhat overly lengthy first half where 3/4 of the show resides.
The stars, as in all ballet, are the dancers themselves, entrancing and enchanting throughout the performance, and they earn this title through every single minute. The choreography (arranged by Christopher Hampson) is jaw dropping throughout, and achieves an incredible symbiosis between emotions and the lines and shapes that ballet movements create. The movements are expertly executed by the dancers who are as elegant and powerful in their performances as you would expect from Scotland’s premiere ballet company. Interestingly they don’t announce whether the Cinders in each performance will be presented as male or female, leaving it up to the audience to find on the night. This has knock-on effects as male Cinders will often be performing moves that traditionally male ballet dancers would not execute. This is a small but interesting creative decision that has no real impacts on the story but is presented as a fun twist on the age old story.
Often recommending ballet to first timers can be difficult, as it’s a large commitment and often perceived as an ‘upper class’ art form , but Cinders! is an easy recommendation as its expertly choreographed dances, breathtaking visuals, well timed jokes and an overall magical experience which makes it hard to not enjoy every minute of the performance.
REVIEWER: John Richardson