The Daily Campus

Issue date: 3/27/09 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Erin Odell Dancers of the Russian National Ballet perform 'Cinderella' at the Jorgensen on Thursday.

The classic tale of Cinderella was recreated and retold through dance last night at the Jorgensen Center for Performing arts. The Russian National Ballet Theatre performed in front of an almost full.

The ballet reenacted the rags-to-riches story of a girl who starts with nothing and gets all her dreams fulfilled. The three-act ballet flowed through the story with a blaze of color, grace and fluidity.

The first act introduced the stepmother and ugly stepsisters, preparing for the ball. The beginning sequence was quick-paced and entertaining, and the facial expressions of the dancers were particularly noticeable and funny. The stepmother was played by a male for an extra comedic touch.

Cinderella's more soft, innocent choreography compared to the sisters' more grounded, rougher choreography clearly enhanced the characterization of the dancers. The acting in the performance was crucial to recreating this well known story and it was one of the ballet's best features.

The dancing became more complex with the arrival of the Fairy Godmother and four dancers representing the seasons. Their synchronization was a little shaky in the beginning but the choreography on the stage was beautifully arranged.

The second act took place in the palace and at the ball. This part was beautifully danced and extravagant. The atmosphere was set with a sparkly backdrop that was illuminated by the lovely array of colorful costumes. The wardrobe helped with the characterization of the dancers, but also added a certain enchanting mood to the otherwise bare stage.

Carolyn Rokoszaka, a 2nd-semester communications disorder major said, "The costumes and lighting really accentuate the beauty of the dancers, they all look great."

In this act, Cinderella and the prince meet for the first time. The sequence in which they dance was one of the most enthralling parts of the ballet. Marianna Chemalina, who portrayed Cinderella, was beautifully poised. She and Dmitry Dmitriev, the prince, emitted sweet and powerful chemistry. The deep, glowing blue lighting seemed to illuminate the dancers and create a moving and tender mood as the dancers glided across the stage with familiar ease.

The other dancers did not fail to impress with their elevated leaps, pirouettes and strong lifts.

As Samantha Muzzulin, a 4th-semester individualized movement therapy major said, "The men in this are incredible, they are technically exceptional; Cinderella is wonderful too, but the guys are just amazing."

After intermission the ballet finished up the third act with the prince trying to find who fits into the silver slipper. This sequence included a great deal of comedy from the stepsisters and stepmother as they tried, unconvincingly, to persuade the prince to marry them. As with any fairy tale, this one has a happy ending.

As Amy Uddin, a 2nd-semester physiology and neurobiology double major said, the ballet theatre created a beautiful display of a classic fairy tale that was "really fluid with great dancers and great acting."

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