Set to Sergei Prokofiev's timeless score, "Cinderella" will dance across the ArcBest stage March 30 in Fort Smith. The production is part of a tour by the World Ballet Series and features more than 150 hand-sewn costumes and ballet artists from all over the globe.
"The choreography was created by Marina Kessler, who is currently with Estonian Opera and Ballet Theatre and was commissioned to create this beautiful work for us," says Gulya Hartwick of World Ballet Series. She explains that while the score is fairly well established, the choreography varies for the timeless love story.
Hartwick adds that she is often surprised at how well the humor is interpreted by the dancers.
"It's very interesting to hear the laugh of the audience members, keeping in mind that our dancers are not saying a word and we make them laugh. It's interesting how dance as an art form can tell you everything, [how it] can tell you a story with the movements."
Hartwick says that audiences still swoon over the love story between the prince, portrayed by Italian dancer Leonardo Celegato, and Cinderella, played with "sparkle" by Ekaterina Malkovich.
"You can literally see the sparks between the two dancers. It's just so gorgeous," Hartwick beams. However, the step-family gets the crowd rolling.
"The stepsisters and stepmom steal the whole show. They're so funny. They're supposed to be angry and mean -- and they are mean, but they're funny at the same time. Everyone loves them. Our audience members always name them as their favorite characters," Hartwick shares. "
The story of Cinderella wasn't always so funny. Hartwick points out that the tale has roots in many different cultures, even in ancient Greece and Asian cultures.
"I know that there was there was a 2,000-year-old version in Korean culture where Cinderella had a friend who was a fish, but Cinderella's mother passed away and her soul was transferred to the fish," she explains. "Then the stepsisters got jealous, and they killed the fish. Cinderella then stored the remains of the fish and those remains -- I'm not making this up. I promise -- those remains helped Cinderella to get a beautiful gown to go to a festival."
In another "grim" version, the stepsisters try to cut off their own heels to try to fit their feet in the slipper. In another, after Cinderella marries the prince, she sends doves to collect the eyes of her stepsisters. None of these frightening versions will influence the World Ballet Series, though.
Hartwick explains that for ballet, the French version by Charles Perrault is used most often for modern audiences.
"I think there are about 1,500 versions of the Cinderella story all around the world, and then even now, if we turn on Netflix, probably a good quarter of the stories are somehow based on the plot," Hartwick says.
She says that this version is "full of love and magic and hope" that inspires both adults and the tiniest members of the audience.
"When we created it, we didn't even think of it as a family production," she says. "Adults find their fun in it. Children find fun in it. It's also a perfect production to see for the first-timers, too, because we all know the plot. And we all know what to expect. But then, the language of dance helps us to understand the story on a completely different level."
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FAQ
World Ballet Series:
'Cinderella'
WHAT -- The World Ballet Series presents the classic tale of "Cinderella" accompanied by Sergei Prokofiev's passionate celebrated score, over 150 hand-sewn radiant costumes, richly detailed hand-crafted sets and sparkling choreography by Marina Kessler.
WHEN -- 7 p.m. March 30
WHERE -- ArcBest Corporation Performing Arts Center in Fort Smith
COST -- $31.50-$91.50
INFO -- fortsmithconventioncenter.org; worldballetseries.com
"The stepsisters and and stepmom steal the whole show. I mean, they're so funny," says Gulya Hartwick of World Ballet Series. (Courtesy Photo)