Classical Ballet "Cinderella" (Ice ballet) Ballet theatre of St. Petersburg Conservatoire
Schedule for "Cinderella" (Ice ballet) 2022
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
World premiere: 21 November 1945, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow (choreography by Rostislav Zakharov)
The Saint-Petersburg State Ballet on ice (former the Leningrad State Ballet on
ice) founded in 1967 by the outstanding choreographer Konstantin Boyarsky, is
the successor of the remarkable traditions of the St.Petersburg school of the
classical ballet.
The Ballet is headed by its Artistic Director, former
soloist of the world-famous Mariinsky Ballet, Merited Artist of Russia
Konstantin Rassadin, a school-mate of Rudolf Nuriev. He participated in the
performances jointly with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia
Makarova.
Musical Director and one of the co-founders of the Ballet is
Leo Korkhin, prominent Russian conductor who conducts quite a number of
orchestras including the renowned Academic Symphony Orchestra of the
Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic Society named after D.Shostakovich.
The
multiple World and European champions, double Olympic champions Ludmila
Beloussova and Oleg Protopopov; multiple World and European champion, Olympic
champion Alexei Ulanov; multiple prize winner of the World and European
figure-skating competitions and Olympic games Ludmila Smirnova danced in the
Ballet at different times. There are about 20 dancers in the company who have
the honorable titles of the Masters of Sports of Russia for the victories at the
all-Russia and international figure-skating competitions.
Since 1995 the
Saint-Petersburg Ballet on ice has been performing on stage of opera theaters.
It shows the most famous ballets by P.Tchaikovsky: "Sleeping Beauty", "Swan
Lake", "Nutcracker" and "Cinderella" ballet by S.Prokofiev.
All the
productions are staged by its principal choreographer Merited Artist of Russia
Konstantin Rassadin. This is for the first time in the world that the real
classical ballets in classical ballet costumes and sets are performed on an ice
rink installed on stage of the theater.
For the last five years these
productions have been successfully performed on the best stages of the USA,
Canada, Netherlands, Germany, China, Spain, Korea, Taiwan, Greece, Portugal,
Ireland.
Synopsis
Act I
Cinderella’s morning begins with sisters’ angry tricks and quarrels as usual.
Only mice in the kitchen feel sorry for the girl, and her Father secretly from
her Step-mother gives her wooden shoes. Her mother used to wear them. But
peevish Step-mother doesn’t let her husband to spend time with his daughter.
Only being alone, Cinderella sees a beggar at the fire-place. Where is she from?
The girl feels sorry for the old woman and gives her shoes to her.
Cinderella’s sisters are getting ready for the ball. They try dresses,
quarrelling and envying each other’s clothes. The quarrel is interrupted by the
Ball Organizer. The sisters are bad at dancing lessons, but Cinderella repeats
all exercises easily and with grace. It causes envy of Sisters and Step-mother’s
anger. She demands her money for dancing lessons back from the Teacher.
Cinderella sees her Father for the ball and imagines herself a princess.
Father catches the game and pretends being the prince. But her Step-mother
appears and forces her husband to leave. Cinderella stays alone and cries.
Suddenly the kitchen is filled with strange light and the girl sees old
beggar. Funny little people peep from the fire-place – they are dwarves. Old
dress falls down from the woman – and Cinderella sees a miraculously wonderful
Fairy. There are four more Fairies of the Season with a suite of dwarves-months
with her. The Spring Fairy gives Cinderella a wonderful dress, made of golden
and silver brocade, decorated with precious stones. The Summer Fairy turns mice
and rats into brave postilion and a pair of fast horses. The Autumn Fairy turns
a pumpkin into a gorgeous carriage, and the Winter Fairy gives Cinderella a
diamond crown and a sparkling cloak. But the best present is made by the main
Fairy – it is porcelain shoes. The girl recognizes the Christian Mother in her.
The Fairy warns Cinderella strictly, that she should return home before
midnight. Otherwise her splendid dress will turn into and old dress again,
horses will become mice, and the carriage – the pumpkin.
Act II
Guests are gathering to the ball at the King’s palace. Noble princes from far
off countries – Spain, China and Chukot – are among them.
There are a lot of beauties at the ball. But the one, who has entered the
last, is the most charming. She has a gorgeous dress on, but it’s not the dress,
that attracts everybody. It’s a strange girl herself. She radiates kindness and
tenderness. Surely, it’s Cinderella.
All the guests are eager to dance with the beauty and give her rich presents.
The Prince suggests the girl his heart and sole. Beloved seem to fly into a
magic garden – a permanently wonderful garden of the Seasons.
Suddenly the clock strikes twelve. The ball is over for Cinderella. She
rushes from the palace, dropping a tiny shoe.
Even the Prince, who holds this tiny finding, can’t recognize his vanished
beloved in a poorly dressed girl.
Act III
The Prince does his best to find the beautiful stranger. But not a single
shoe-maker can say what a skillful master has made this unusual porcelain shoe.
The Prince leaves for far off countries, hoping to find his beloved there.
But one misfortune follows the other – the porcelain shoe is small both Spanish
and Chinese princesses. And far off the Chukot prince suggests the Prince
marring his bride – according to the ways of his country. He is so sorry for his
friend! But the Prince needs the only girl in the world – the one, whom the shoe
will match. The Prince makes up his mind to return home.
A porcelain shoe – it’s the only thing, left to Cinderella after the magic
ball. In her dreams she dances again and she is happy again. Her Step-mother and
sisters break her dreams.
Cinderella’s father doesn’t want to suffer his wife’s and her daughters’
cruelty. He makes an attempt to force the sister sweep the floor. A terrible
quarrel seems to be inevitable. Suddenly the Prince with his suite appears at
the door. He has been to dozens of houses, trying to find his bride. Now it’s
the turn of Cinderella’s father.
The Step-mother and the sisters are out of their minds with the attempts to
put on the shoe. The Step-mother is ready to shorten her foot. Trying to stop
her, Cinderella drops the other porcelain shoe. The Prince sees his beloved.
And than the merriest and the most gorgeous wedding was held!
Schedule for "Cinderella" (Ice ballet) 2022
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