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I’m struggling to understand this news … is it a deliberate release of new editions of the music because the original copyright is approaching expiry? In order to continue earning licensing fees? Is this common practice? Seems underhand to me. or does this notice only apply to usage in the USA? I’m sure someone here will have better knowledge of music rights. https://slippedisc.com/2024/01/just-in-publisher-prohibits-use-of-older-prokofiev-scores/ Dear Colleagues, We are writing to you today with some important information regarding the ballets ROMEO AND JULIET and CINDERELLA, composed by Sergei Prokofiev. These dramatic stage works, having been conceptualized and created collaboratively by their composer and librettists, are co-authored and receive copyright protection as “joint works,” as do the derivative compositions created from the complete ballets. Both ballets, their derivative concert suites and excerpts, received protection under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), and are therefore protected in the United States for a period of 95 years from their initial publication dates. In other territories, the works are protected for the applicable term afforded to copyrighted works; joint works being protected based on the death date of the last surviving co-author. (Please refer to the information below as concerns such relevant dates.) While your organization may own a legally purchased set of score and parts of an earlier edition of these works, we are obliged to inform you that G. Schirmer, Inc., and the Wise Music Group have prepared new performance editions of both ballets as well as their derivative works. These new editions of full scores and instrumental parts are the only editions authorized by the Prokofiev Estate and must be used for all future performances. For staged performances of these ballets, the licensing of public performance Grand Rights remains mandatory for performances which take place with either live musicians and/or with recorded accompaniment. When performing these works with live accompaniment a rental agreement must be obtained in addition to a public performance “Grand Rights” license. When performing with only recorded accompaniment, a public performance “Grand Rights” license must be obtained. Please know that the right to perform any work in public is within the exclusive province of the composer in the first instance. Sergei Prokofiev assigned the public performance right to G. Schirmer within its territory, with a reservation of the right of absolute approval over the edition that is used to perform the work publicly. The Kalmus edition, and any other unofficial performance materials made available prior to restoration of copyright under the URAA have no such approval and their use to perform the works publicly is unauthorized. ASCAP, as the assignee of the public performance right from G. Schirmer, can have no greater rights than the rights that Prokofiev gave to G. Schirmer. Therefore, the public performance licenses from ASCAP to orchestras, ballet companies, venues, and festivals are valid only for public performances using the edition approved by Prokofiev and licensed for performance to ASCAP by G. Schirmer as Prokofiev’s assignee. Grand Rights licenses will not be issued for live performances which do not utilize the new editions, and ASCAP licenses for non-dramatic performances shall not be valid when unauthorized performance materials are used. Wise Music Group reserves the right to retroactively license and invoice unreported performances which are discovered. Such performances shall be subject to penalty fees. ROMEO AND JULIET: BALLET IN 4 ACTS, OP. 64 (1935-36) Composed by Sergei Prokofiev Co-Authors: Librettist – Sergei Radlov (1892-1958) Librettist – Adrian Piotrovsky (1898-1938) Librettist – Leonid Lavrovsky (1905-1967) wisemusicclassical.com/work/31702/Romeo-and-Juliet–Sergei-Prokofiev CINDERELLA: BALLET IN 3 ACTS, OP. 87 (1940-44) Composed by Sergei Prokofiev Co-Author: Librettist – Nicolas Volkov (d. 1965) wisemusicclassical.com/work/31718/Cinderella–Sergei-Prokofiev For information about rental material and licensing of public performance rights, please direct enquiries to the Rental/Licensing Department or agent of Wise Music in your territory. wisemusicclassical.com/rental wisemusicclassical.com/licensing For additional information and to view online perusal scores, please visit the URLs of the works’ pages on the Wise Music Classical website as noted above. We look forward to assisting you with licensing your future productions and concert performances of these ballets.

Literally hot off the press: "The role of Cinderella will be performed by Lead Principals Shiori Kase and Erina Takahashi, Principal Emma Hawes, and Soloist Precious Adams. Prince Guillaume will be danced by Lead Principal Francesco Gabriele Frola, Principal Aitor Arrieta, First Soloist Daniel McCormick, and Junior Soloist Lorenzo Trossello. These performances will mark a debut in the respective roles for Precious Adams, Daniel McCormick and Lorenzo Trossello. The run will also mark the in-the-round debut performances for Shiori Kase and Aitor Arrieta, who previously danced the roles of Cinderella and Prince Guillaume in the proscenium production." Not sure I can actually access the full blurb where I am at present.

The much anticipated new production of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella opens tonight at the Royal Opera House. All discussion and reports on the performances here please.

The Friends’ Spring ROH Magazine has just arrived and contains interesting news about the new production of Ashton’s Cinderella. It seems that, in the past, women sometimes took the roles of the Stepsisters and Wendy Ellis Somes (who owns the choreographic rights to the ballet) has decided to allow women to get a chance at the parts – in alternate casts. The Magazine quotes Kevin O’Hare saying that they wanted to take another look at the Stepsisters’ function in the ballet and ‘look at how we can make it work for audiences of today’. We could be in for some surprises!

Tuesday 11/4 SCS d9 (Nagdhi/Ball) face value £12 please send PM and leave a message here Thanks

Friday 14/4 SCS d9 (Kaneko/Bracewell) face value £12 please send PM and leave a message here Thanks

I have a Royal Ballet School student friend who is looking for 2 x SCS for April 1st matinee. They don’t have to be together. Let me know if you can help. Thanks 🙏🏻

I can no longer go this evening. SCS d39. Face value £12. Please PM and leave a message if interested. CAST CINDERELLA Sarah Lamb THE PRINCE Steven McRae STEP-SISTERS Bennet Gartside, James Hay THE FAIRY GODMOTHER Itziar Mendizabal

Please leave a message and PM me if you have a spare SCS ticket for Cinderella matinee on April 1st. Thanks

Does anyone have 2 seated ticket spare to the Cinderella rehearsal on 24th March? My parents will be visiting from Germany that weekend and I would love to share my favourite past time (RB at ROH) with them. I'd be most grateful for any leads. Many thanks!

Selling a standing ticket for Cinderella on Saturday 1st April 1pm: Upper Amphi standing W-55 - £9 (great view of the stage albeit a little far back) cast: Marianela Nunez, Vadim Muntagirov, Fumi Kaneko, Gary Avis, Luca Acri)

For immediate release: Wednesday 29 June 2022 English National Ballet Spring - Summer 2023 Season Update www.ballet.org.uk English National Ballet today announces further plans for spring - summer 2023, completing its 2022 - 2023 Season. From 15 - 25 June 2023, Royal Albert Hall and English National Ballet will present Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderellain-the-round. First performed in 2019 by English National Ballet, this grand-scale restaging of the magical production features over 90 dancers and combines magnificent sets and costumes, theatrical surprises, and lively choreography set to Prokofiev’s famous score performed by English National Ballet Philharmonic. Following its recent premiere in London and a UK tour in autumn 2022, English National Ballet presents Raymonda by Tamara Rojo internationally for the first time with performances at the Teatro Real, Madrid, 10 – 13 May 2023. Updating the ballet’s setting to the Crimean war and drawing inspiration from the groundbreaking spirit and work of the women supporting the war effort, including Florence Nightingale, Raymonda is recast as a young woman with a calling to become a nurse. Starring a huge cast of dancers, this critically acclaimed adaptation keeps the best of the 19th-century original including Alexander Glazunov’s score, adapted and edited by Gavin Sutherland and Lars Payne. English National Ballet’s annual celebration of rising talent within the Company, Emerging Dancer, returns to a live theatre audience on 30 May 2023 at Sadler’s Wells, London. The event, which will also be live streamed, sees six selected finalists mentored by their peers perform in front of a panel of eminent judges. The winner of Emerging Dancer is announced alongside the People’s Choice Award and the Corps de Ballet Award, introduced to recognise the hard work and dedication of an exceptional member of the corps. As previously announced, Creature by Akram Khan returns to Sadler’s Wells, London with performances from 22 March – 01 April 2023. -ENDS- English National Ballet is grateful for the generous grant it has been awarded through the Government's Culture Recovery Fund, which allows it to continue to create, perform and serve its audiences. Notes to Editors English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England. Ballymore is Principal Building Partner of English National Ballet. English National Ballet is an Associate Company of Sadler’s Wells. Raymonda by Tamara Rojo, after Marius Petipa A Co-Production between English National Ballet and Finnish National Ballet Production Partner: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Lead supporters of Raymonda: Doug and Ceri King, Sir Damon and Lady Buffini, Manuel and Amparo Falcó Creature by Akram Khan A Co-Production between English National Ballet and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (OBV) Co-Producer: Sadler’s Wells, London. Production Partner: The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater Production Sponsor: Cunard Lead Supporter of Creature: Valentina Kislaya On-Sale Information: Priority booking for Cinderella in-the-round opens on Thursday 30 June with general booking opening on Friday 1 July. Booking for Creature and Emerging Dancer will open in autumn 2022. Become a Friend today to enjoy priority booking, access to exclusive events throughout the Season, and great discounts. Sign up to our e-newsletter to find out when booking is announced. Performance details are subject to change. Please see www.ballet.org.uk for the latest information. English National Ballet’s 2022-2023 Listings: Swan Lake Liverpool Empire Wednesday 28 September – Saturday 01 October 2022 www.ballet.org.uk/swan-lake Swan Lake Manchester Palace Theatre Wednesday 05 – Saturday 08 October 2022 www.ballet.org.uk/swan-lake Akram Khan’s Giselle Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris Wednesday 12 – Saturday 15 October 2022 www.ballet.org.uk/akram-khan-giselle Ek/ Forsythe/ Quagebeur Sadler’s Wells, London Wednesday 09 – Saturday 12 November 2022 www.ballet.org.uk/ek-forsythe-quagebeur Raymonda Bristol Hippodrome Wednesday 23 – Saturday 26 November 2022 www.ballet.org.uk/raymonda Raymonda Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Wednesday 30 November – Saturday 03 December 2022 www.ballet.org.uk/raymonda Nutcracker London Coliseum Thursday 15 December 2022 – Saturday 07 January 2023 www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker Swan Lake London Coliseum Thursday 12 – Sunday 22 January 2023 www.ballet.org.uk/swan-lake Akram Khan’s Giselle Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Austria Friday 24 & Saturday 25 February 2023 www.ballet.org.uk/akram-khan-giselle Creature by Akram Khan Sadler’s Wells, London 22 March – 01 April 2023 www.ballet.org.uk/creature Raymonda Teatro Real, Madrid 10 – 13 May 2023 www.ballet.org.uk/raymonda Emerging Dancer Sadler’s Wells, London 23 May 2023 www.ballet.org.uk/emerging Cinderella in-the-round Royal Albert Hall 15 - 25 June 2023 www.ballet.org.uk/cinderella-intheround About English National Ballet English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has been at the forefront of ballet's growth and evolution ever since. English National Ballet brings world-class ballet to the widest possible audience through live performances across the UK and on eminent international stages; its digital platforms Ballet on Demand and BalletActive; its distinguished orchestra, English National Ballet Philharmonic; and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet's Dance for Parkinson's. Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo CBE, English National Ballet has introduced ground-breaking new works to the Company's repertoire whilst continuing to honour the tradition of great classical ballet, gaining acclaim for artistic excellence and creativity. 2019 saw English National Ballet enter a new chapter in its history when it moved into a purpose-built state-of-the-art home in east London, Mulryan Centre for Dance, bringing a renewed commitment to, and freedom for, creativity, ambition, and connection to more people, near and far, than ever before. www.ballet.org.uk About Arts Council England Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let's Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of several bodies administering the Government's Culture Recovery Fund and unprecedented support package of £1.57 billion for the culture and heritage sector. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19 About Ballymore Ballymore: 40 years of forward thinking Ballymore is a leading property developer with a multi award-winning portfolio of some of Europe’s largest and most transformative urban development projects. Our projects are defined by their vision, originality and commitment to quality and we are driven to set new, lasting standards in design, creativity and architecture. Every place we create has a unique personality inspired by its location, history, people and culture, nurtured through strong relationships with our expert partners and those we develop with local communities. We enliven areas well before the first foundations are laid and we remain long after the last brick is in place to ensure our customers are well looked after and the communities continue to thrive. Our landmark developments in the UK span the breadth of Greater London, from our new riverside communities in Royal Wharf, London City Island and Embassy Gardens, where we have transformed underused land into lively new neighbourhoods, over to Brentford where we are reconnecting the High Street with the waterfront and revitalising the town centre. In Ireland, we develop homes across a number of counties and have established Dublin Landings as a new commercial centre at North Wall Quay. We are also working in partnership with Diageo and CIE to design and deliver mixed-use developments at the Guinness brewery and Connolly Station in Dublin.

Yes, I saw it yesterday live. Now I'm looking forward to the livestream.

You can imagine how delighted I was to see a live ballet performance for the first time in over a year on Sunday. The ballet itself wasn't one I would have chosen, as I am not a fan of Bintley, but the leading couple are amongst my very favourites and they did not disappoint. Momoko Hirata was as magically light and sparkling as always, and César Morales was his usual elegant self with superb and considerate partnering, although the choreography didn't stretch him and sadly there were none of his delicious entrechats to enjoy. Birmingham Rep Theatre had a fairly small and rather shiny-looking stage (causing one poor corps member to skid to the floor, with an adroit recovery). I was particularly impressed with Hirata's acting ability as she really did seem transformed into a different person after the fairy godmother's visit. I had trouble with the on-line booking system so bought tickets via the telephone which I was warned would not have a good view as they were below the level of the stage, but that was the best available. They only cost £35 and they had the best view ever! Not below the stage at all. So if you are ever going to that theatre, I recommend the middle of row B! The orchestra played live but from a different room, being shown on screen and presumably seeing the dancers on screen in their room. It worked well and they sounded good. https://maryrosedouglasuk.wixsite.com/ballet I can't wait for my next live ballet experience, which will include my other favourite dancing partners, Núñez and Muntagirov. Ooooh, life has become exciting again!

This fascinating article has appeared on the BRB website. It really is a worthwhile read: https://www.brb.org.uk/post/elisha-willis-change-of-career

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S CINDERELLA SIR DAVID BINTLEY’S ENCHANTING FAIRYTALE BALLET TO BE STREAMED TO MARK THE END OF BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S HOME FROM HOME SERIES Birmingham’s Royal Ballet’s celebrated production of Cinderella will be broadcast in full on Birmingham Royal Ballet’s website and Facebook page to mark the end of its online Home from Home series. Its digital premiere will take place at 7pm on Tuesday 25 August and be available to watch for seven days thereafter via brb.org.uk/watch-cinderella Sir David Bintley’s enchanting fairytale ballet, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s sumptuous score, captures every imagination with its magical mix of dance, spectacular costumes and scenery by designer John Macfarlane, and a cast of characters from the fairy godmother and step sisters to a mythical world of mice, lizards and even a dancing frog. This family-friendly production was filmed during the premiere run of the ballet at Birmingham Hippodrome in 2010 and featured as the BBC Christmas ballet that year. It stars Elisha Willis as Cinderella, Iain Mackay as the Prince and Marion Tait as the Stepmother; the Royal Ballet Sinfonia is conducted by Music Director Koen Kessels. The broadcast of Cinderella will be free to watch; but in lieu of a ticket, from those who feel they can, we would be delighted to receive donations via the brb.org.uk/watch-cinderella page; all donations help us deliver the amazing work we do both on and off the stage, and we are very grateful for any support given. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Cinderella will tour the UK in 2021, with dates and venue information available at brb.org.uk/cinderella Following an uncertain year for everyone, not least for the performing arts, Birmingham Royal Ballet, under the Directorship of Carlos Acosta, looks forward to returning to training in Birmingham from the beginning of August 2020. News of an exciting programme of live autumn performances, including work outdoors, in the community, in socially-distanced arena spaces and using augmented reality and technical innovation, will be announced very soon. ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS: Birmingham Royal Ballet Based at Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet is the United Kingdom’s leading touring ballet company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future. The company’s Director from January 2020 is the internationally renowned Carlos Acosta. Birmingham Royal Ballet performs at Birmingham Hippodrome for approximately ten weeks of the year and the remainder of the year tours throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. On average, the company performs 175 shows a year nationally and internationally. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra, it is also Britain's busiest ballet orchestra. The Sinfonia also plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and other leading ballet companies, including performances with: The Royal Ballet, Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.

I went to ENB performing Chrisopher Wheeldon's Cinderella in Manchester today (Saturday Matinee). Erina Takahashi and Joseph Caley were the leads. I have never been to a Wheeldon ballet before, and not watched the Royal Ballet televised productions of recent years. I must admit to a certain about of ignorant snobbery and prejudice towards this choreographer. Being a lover of the great classical ballet canon, I had a bias that it might be, (especially judging from the Cinderella promotional images) rather too 'Matthew Bourne-ish' (again, I admit to being quite ignorant of Bourne too). The excellent reviews on this forum of this Cinderella (in the round, in the Albert Hall) encouraged me that it was worthwhile to go and see. Thank you Ballet Forum! I found it was a splendid cinematic dance theatre with more than enough of the classical style to satisfy me. For sheer visual effect, it is impressive and sophisticated. The colours of the staging and costume are extremely rich and splendid, lustrous. I did wonder in some scenes if they crossed the line into garishness but they just stayed on the right side, I think. The varied effects are very striking, wonderful (I particularly liked the row of chairs levitating in Act III). The choreography I found very interesting and often extremely pleasing. I loved the use of the male quartet of 'Fates' throughout. As with the other Cinderella I've seen (BRB Bintley) the Seasons dances are a highlight, and Precious Adam's leading Winter was probably my favourite. Perhaps some of the step sequences were a little 'busy', particularly in the (infrequent) solos, and I must admit I didn't find the grand pdd's conveyed the overwhelming emotion I thought they should have. The national dance section was again a little busy but I love this music and regret that it doesn't feature in the BRB version. But overall the dance was continually creative, impressive, surprising and consistently high standard. And I will admit that at the climax of Act II ballroom scene had me won over - the way the corps formations drew the scene onto it's finale, and portrayed the ticking clock with their arms - I thought this was fabulous. The leads Takahashi and Caley were of course excellent and flawless, but I'm not sure their individual (or pdd) choreography was a sufficient vehicle for either of them to really enrapture or astound the audience. It looks like this production has sold extremely well, far better than ballet usually does in Manchester.

In the order of Cinderella, Prince Guillaume, Benjamin Manchester Thursday 17 October Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Jeffrey Cirio Friday 18 October (mat) Emma Hawes, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Ken Saruhashi Friday 18 October Shiori Kase*, Jeffrey Cirio, Barry Drummond Saturday 19 October (mat) Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Brooklyn Mack*+ Saturday 19 October Emma Hawes, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Ken Saruhashi Southampton Wednesday 23 October Emma Hawes, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Ken Saruhashi Thursday 24 October (mat) Alison McWhinney*, Aitor Arrieta*, Henry Dowden* Thursday 24 October Shiori Kase, Jeffrey Cirio, Barry Drummond Friday 25 October Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Brooklyn Mack Saturday 26 October (mat) Alison McWhinney, Aitor Arrieta, Henry Dowden Saturday 26 October Shiori Kase, Jeffrey Cirio, Barry Drummond *Debut in the role with English National Ballet +Guest Artist

Has anyone seen it?

Hello all — on offer is a good seat for the matinee on Friday of Cinderella in the Round at the Royal Albert Hall Stalls L Row 3 Seat 77 Price: £70 (£71.08 face value) The lovely Emma Hawes is Cinderella. See rest of cast here It is an e-ticket

The Australian Ballet's Melbourne year had been scheduled to start with a new Graeme Murphy, The Happy Prince, but due to Mr Murphy's health that has been postponed. Instead, they brushed up the Ratmansky Cinderella that closed 2018 in Sydney. Our subscription night was last Friday (22 March) and we saw Ako Kondo and her husband Chengwu Guo as Cinderella and the Prince. Having last seen the now-retired Leanne Stojmenov with Alexander Campbell in those roles, I was distinctly underwhelmed by Kondo and Guo. I hadn't seen them dance together for a couple of years and they have improved as a partnership but despite their individual general excellence and their real-world marriage, it's not a partnership I will rush to see again. Far more engaging were the Terrible Trio of Stepmother (Dana Stephensen), Skinny Stepsister (Ingrid Gow in the role she created) and Dumpy Stepsister (Jill Ogai). They work brilliantly together, and Ogai and Stephensen are now even better matches for Gow than they were in December. I still laugh every time Gow lifts her skirt, exposing her French knickers, as she carefully grounds (grinds?) her pointe shoe before pirouetting. I still find the Planets (instead of fairies etc) unattractive and confusing as a concept, as certainly do all the children I've seen and heard at performances of this production. Even mental repetition of the old mnemonic doesn't help me identify them all correctly - I found out last Friday the one I thought was Mars was in fact Uranus! The Prince's tour of the world only really works with a dancer who can engage the audience with his acting. In the hands of Guo it was just...blah. I also find the quartet of Prince's Friends seems to have degenerated into slapstick and sloppy dancing, very rough around the edges, which it certainly wasn't intended to be. I would have enjoyed the opportunity to see Sharni Spencer (who made an excellent début In December) with Brett Chynoweth, but was unable to afford an extra ticket, the only available ones being $274 for not-great seats at a Saturday matinée. Overall, the good bits balanced out the weak bits but it'll be a while and I'll check the casting carefully before I see this production again.

Foteini Christofilopoulou was at the dress rehearsal for Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella at Sadlers Wells, December 2017. Here are some photos: Ashley Shaw, Dominic North © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Ashley Shaw, Dominic North © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set from DanceTabs: Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

Opening this thread in hopes of reports from @jmb, @DD Driver and @Bluebird before I make it to Sydney! Alexander Campbell is dancing the Prince to Leanne Stojmenov's Cinderella on 12 and 14 December, otherwise only Ty King-Wall and Chengwu Guo, just two of six male TAB principals (one doesn't do it, two injured, one in Birmingham with BRB) and a wealth of talent from the middle ranks ie soloists Brodie James, Cristiano Martino and Marcus Morelli, and coryphée Callum Linnane. In the Cinderella role are both Stojmenov and Lana Jones in their final performances before retiring, also Ako Kondo and Robyn Hendricks, plus senior artists Dimity Azoury and Jade Wood, and soloist Sharni Spencer - I think her debut main stage principal role. Opening night was last Friday, after which Wood was announced as winner of this year's Ballet Dancer Award. Room for at least one promotion...but it won't be the night I'm there as I'm supposed to have Stojmenov and Campbell.

Queensland Ballet's latest offering is Ben Stevenson's Cinderella, a work that was the first presented by QB in 2013, just after Li Cunxin took over as Artistic Director. Since then, QB has staged Ben Stevenson's Nutcracker every year, and his Swan Lake in 2017. In this way, Li Cunxin continues to honour his mentor, the man responsible for bringing him to the US, the first Chinese dancer to come, and then recruiting him to the Huston Ballet, where he became a principle. So Cinderella has a history with QB. And anyone who has read my previous posts about QB will know of the enormous respect I have for Li Cunxin and what he has done for QB. Which brings us back to Cinderella. And unfortunately, I have to say that this production left me unmoved. The dancing itself was of the standard we have come to expect from QB dancers, but chemistry between the two leads (Yanela Pinera as Cinderella and Joel Woellner as the Prince) was totally lacking. It also needs to be said that the principles were not helped by the choreography, which was simple and straightforward, without any real challenges that I could see. (This made it an excellent choice in 2013, but much less of a one today.) Prokokiev's music is complex and challenging, but the choreography totally ignores the dark sub-text that lurks constantly just below the surface, opting instead for comedy. This is chiefly seen in the ugly sisters, danced by the (male) principles Camilo Ramos and Vito Bernasconi. Pure slapstick, which is fine in small doses, but what we get here is a deluge. Cinderella herself moves from lightness and joy to darkness and weeping with unnerving rapidity, especially in the first act. One dancer to watch, however, is Liam Geck, who danced the role of the Jester with elan and real connection with the audience. Lots of fancy jumps, but these did not get in the way of Geck projecting a cheeky sense of fun. Great set design (Thomas Boyd) and costumes (Tracy Grant Lord). The Australian Ballet is presenting Ratmansky's Cinderella in December, and I look foward to seeing how he handles the balance of light and darkness in his version of the story.

Ballet Cymru has revived Darius James and Amy Doughty's Cinderella which is my favourite work in the company;s repertoire and IMHO the best Cinderella anywhere. I say that for several reasons. It is very faithful to the Grimms' tale which is short and tight as us the ballet. I also love Jack White's simple but very moving score, James and Doughty's choreography and of course the cast. I caught the show at the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale last night . I was enchanted by Bethe Meadway;s performance as Cinderella. Link Xander Parish and Kevin O'Hare she comes from Hull and they would have been proud of their fellow cod head. Great performances also from Robbie Moorcroft, Isobel Holland, Dan Morrison, Miguel Fernandes, Eka Mastrangelo and Alex Hallas. I noticed a few changes since the last run in 2015 most of which I liked. The company uses lighting in place of sets and [ properties since it does a lot of touring and it has acquired some new projections. If anyone is interested, I have written a longer review in my blog,