• ABOUT
  • SUPPORT
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT
SUBSCRIBE NOW
No Result
View All Result
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
The Ballet Herald®
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • News
    • Features
    • Reviews
    • Opinions
    • Interviews
    • On This Day in History
    • Schools & Training
  • Ballet Performances Calendar
  • Famous Ballets
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • Swan Lake
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • Ballet Companies
  • 🎄 2022 Nutcracker Performances
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • News
    • Features
    • Reviews
    • Opinions
    • Interviews
    • On This Day in History
    • Schools & Training
  • Ballet Performances Calendar
  • Famous Ballets
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • Swan Lake
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • Ballet Companies
  • 🎄 2022 Nutcracker Performances
No Result
View All Result
The Ballet Herald®
Home Famous Ballets

Cinderella

Learn about the characters, music, plot, interesting facts, and upcoming performances of Cinderella, one of the most famous classical ballets.

3.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Who are the characters in Cinderella?
  • What is the story of Cinderella?
  • What is the music for Cinderella?
  • Where is Cinderella performed?
  • Related Stories
  • Original Choreography: Rostislav Zakharov
  • Musical Score: Sergei Prokofiev
  • Based on: Charles Perrault's "Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre"

Cinderella Plot & Roles

*Classical ballets have evolved over time, lending themselves to different interpretations as choreographers and directors create works that reflect their visions of the story. The following is intended to provide general information; for details on different versions, click on each of the Cinderella performances below.

  • PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS IN CINDERELLA (in alphabetical order)

 
Cinderella: A lonely woman, servant to Stepmother


 
Fairy Godmother: A magician


 
Prince: In love with Cinderella


 
Stepmother: Matriarch of the house


 
Stepsisters: Daughters of Stepmother


  • CINDERELLA SYNOPSIS
⊙ ACT I: CINDERELLA'S HOME

In a land far, far away is a home in which there lives a family – a dominating woman with two spoiled daughters and Cinderella, the kind daughter of the woman’s husband. Stepmother deems Cinderella responsible for the death of her husband, thus directing her anger toward the young woman. She demands that Cinderella essentially be her servant, and the stepsisters – jealous of the outcast’s beauty – follow suit.

News has arrived that the Royal Palace is planning a ball during which the Prince will choose his future bride. Overcome with excitement about the prospects of being chosen, the stepsisters order Cinderella to work on their gowns, all the while, the latter dreaming the impossible of herself attending and dancing with the Prince.

Fairy Godmother, appreciative of Cinderella’s kind disposition despite her despicable living conditions, grants her the wish of attending the ball. As a gift, she magically makes glass slippers from house shoes and summons the fairies of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter who convert Cinderella’s rags into a glimmering gown, transform a pumpkin and mice into a carriage of horses, and create footmen from grasshoppers and dragonflies. As Cinderella scurries to the party, she is reminded by Fairy Godmother that the magic expires at midnight at which time all but the gifted glass slippers will revert back to their original forms.

⊙ ACT II: THE SPRING BALL

Along with the dozens oof other women vying for the Prince’s attention, the stepsisters endeavor to win him over. Their effort – as well as that of the others – is in vain, as the Prince has no desire to marry without love.

His sadness is interrupted by the tardy entrance of Cinderella, who is unrecognizable – even to her own family – due to the magical transformation the fairies have mustered. The Prince is immediately enamored and asks her for a dance, the first of the evening. From this moment, the couple are engrossed in their own happiness and oblivious to what is happening around them.

Amidst the festivities, the clock begins to strike midnight. Cinderella is taken off guard as she has completely lost track of time and in a panic of not wanting her true identity to be discovered, she suddenly flees the party. In her haste, one of her glass slippers falls off her foot; this is the only trace the Prince has of his new love and he vows to find her at no expense.

⊙ ACT III: THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Upon denial of the local shoemakers that they are the manufacturer of the glass slipper, the Prince decides that his love must be a princess from a foreign land. Thus, he travels the world on a search for the foot that fits the shoe, but ultimately returns home disheartened.

His last resort is to go house to house in his own kingdom, trying the slipper on every young woman who lives there.

Hearing of this announcement, Stepmother and the stepsisters frantically get ready for the Prince’s visit. Of course, the slipper fits neither of the sisters nor their mother, who despite not being in quite the correct age range, forcefully attempts to squeeze her foot in the shoe. Although the others don’t see the need (as to them she is but a servant), the Prince then asks for Cinderella to try. To everyone but Cinderella’s surprise, she is revealed to be the woman that the Prince danced with at the ball.

★ INTERESTING FACT ★ 
Sergei Prokofiev began composing the music for CINDERELLA in 1940; it wasn’t actually completed, though, for another four years. An interruption was caused by the outbreak of World War II which inspired Prokofiev to write his opera War and Peace. Upon its completion, he returned to his ballet score.

Cinderella Music Playlist

Upcoming Cinderella Performances

10 - 13 August
Aotea Centre
Royal New Zealand Ballet Cinderella

Royal New Zealand Ballet: Cinderella

50 Mayoral Drive, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand

View Details
20 - 21 August
Napier Municipal Theatre
Royal New Zealand Ballet Cinderella

Royal New Zealand Ballet: Cinderella

119 Tennyson Street, Napier South, Napier 4110, New Zealand

View Details
25 - 28 August
Isaac Theatre Royal
Royal New Zealand Ballet Cinderella

Royal New Zealand Ballet: Cinderella

145 Gloucester Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand

View Details
03 September
Regent Theatre
Royal New Zealand Ballet Cinderella

Royal New Zealand Ballet: Cinderella

18 The Octagon, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand

View Details
06 - 09 October
Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Nashville Ballet Cinderella

Nashville Ballet: Cinderella

505 Deaderick St, Nashville, TN 37243, United States

View Details
13 - 23 October
Academy of Music
Philadelphia Ballet Cinderella

Philadelphia Ballet: Cinderella

240 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102, United States

View Details
20 - 23 October
Symphony Hall
Ballet Arizona Cinderella

Ballet Arizona: Cinderella

75 N 2nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States

View Details
17 - 20 November
The Kennedy Center​
Les Ballets de Monte Carlo Cendrillon DC

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo: Cendrillon

2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566, United States

View Details
02 December - 24 January
Royal Swedish Opera
Royal Swedish Ballet Cinderella

Royal Swedish Ballet: Cinderella

Gustav Adolfs torg 2, 111 52 Stockholm, Sweden

View Details
28 January - 23 February
Oslo Opera House
Norwegian National Ballet Cinderella

Norwegian National Ballet: Cinderella

Kirsten Flagstads Plass 1, 0150 Oslo, Norway

View Details
09 - 12 February
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
Tulsa Ballet Cinderella

Tulsa Ballet: Cinderella

110 E 2nd St, Tulsa, OK 74103

View Details
17 - 26 February
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Kansas City Ballet Cinderella

Kansas City Ballet: Cinderella

1601 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108

View Details
No event found!
Load More

Related Cinderella Stories

YouTube videos

Matthew Bourne New Adventures Review - Cinderella
Reviews

Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Review: A Cinderella Saga

by Cherilyn J. Lee
January 17, 2019
Matthew Bourne - Cinderella
News

The Kennedy Center Presents Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella

by News Desk
December 20, 2018
Load More
Famous Ballets
  • Cinderella
  • Coppélia
  • Don Quixote
  • Giselle
  • La Bayadère
  • La Sylphide
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Swan Lake
  • The Nutcracker
  • The Sleeping Beauty

The Ballet Herald

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive recent stories and upcoming performance details direct to your inbox!

(Be sure to add news[at]balletherald.com to your contact list so that we don't end up in your spam folder.)

BROWSE THE NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

⦿

Ballet Companies Ballet Herald Famous Ballets Features Interviews Magazine News On This Day in History Opinions Reviews Schools & Training Theatres Videos
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 The Ballet Herald™ by BalletNomad, LLC®

No Result
View All Result
  • ➩ Subscribe Now
  • Home
  • 🎄 2022 Nutcracker Performances
  • Magazine
    • News
    • Features
    • Reviews
    • Opinions
    • Interviews
    • On This Day in History
    • Schools & Training
  • Performance Calendar
  • Famous Ballets
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • The Nutcracker
    • Swan Lake
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • Ballet Companies
  • ⊙ About
  • ⊙ Support
  • ⊙ Contact
  • ⊙ Advertise

© 2022 The Ballet Herald™ by BalletNomad, LLC®

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.