Cinderella

If I could rate this production a 10 I would. I bought this production after the lame production my wife and I saw this year at Ballet West in Salt Lake City. The ballet is one of our favorites and we were extremely disappointed with the Ballet West production. I went to Amazon and found this production and it sounded great. We finally watched it and there are no words to describe this creative, elegant, energetic, well acted and danced production. There is magic around every corner and many surprises that I haven't seen in previous productions. Act One serves up an energetic and well edited 30 minute scene with a very cruel step mother and step sisters who are actually played by young ladies who are fabulous dancers. The Fairy Godmother does little dancing, but great moving on stage. She captures the stage with her presence. Magic is plentiful when the sets move to reveal a magical night complete with mouse and lizard dancing and preparing a most compelling Cinderella for the ball. Just when I thought there couldn't be more magic, Act Two presents magic from the first note to the last. The sets and costumes blend well together using the night's sky and stars on the pillars of the castle and the costumes reflected the magic of the night in blacks, purples, dark blues and silver. The pillars keep changing according to what is happening on stage. The step mother and sisters are excellent in this energetic and well edited scene. But the magic doesn't end there. It proceeds until this massive clock appears with working gears as Cinderella is pulled between her promise to the Fairy Godmother and her love for prince. Well danced, romantic, sensitive and very hilarious, but never over the top. Act Three combines magic, comedy, and finally the young couple dancing together in a Jane Austin romantic feel among clouds and golden stars. Amazing. There are no words to describe this perfect production. There will never be another production as wonderful. If you love ballet and love Cinderella, you will love this. Buy it NOW!

First of all, this is from 1961 and is a very fine example of the Russian cinema from that period. It is in color with beautiful camera work, special effects of the period, and great acting. The camera gives us many closeups to show facial reactions. The image and sound quality are very good and typical of movies from that period. If you have been spoiled by the technical perfection of image and sound quality of today's digital products, you may not want this. I have met many people that tell me they refuse to watch any of the older movies for this reason! I, for one, am very glad to have these classics available to me(as I was growing up, I only heard about classic movies, but could never see them!). The performance, itself, is quite good with very interesting choreography. All the female parts are danced on pointe, including the ugly sisters, the mother and even the fairy godmother. We are also given the fairies of the seasons here with solos for each of them. The famous ballerina, Yekaterina Maximova, dances the role of the Spring fairy. The Prince is played by Gennadi Lediakh and he gives a very impressive performance with some extremely challenging solo variations(his opening solo includes an eleven-turn pirouette!). This was the period at the Bolshoi that was strongly influenced by Asaf Messerer(Maya Plisetskaya's uncle) who helped bring the Bolshoi into the modern age of classical technique. Cinderella is danced by Raisa Struchkova and she shows us a very convincing and spirited character. Keeping in mind that this is from a bygone era, I highly recommend it!

Choosing a DVD of Prokofiev's "Cinderella" to purchase can be a difficult and confusing process. There are many factors to consider: (1) The only constant is Prokofiev's music, but this is often abridged, rearranged or has additional music added. (2) When at home, Cinderella dances in her bare feet.....OR in pointe shoes. (3) Living with Cinderella, besides her stepsisters, is her father.....OR her stepmother.....OR her father and stepmother. (4) Cinderella's stepsisters are danced by men.....OR women. (5) The stepsisters perform beautiful comedy.....OR the comedy is underplayed.....OR the comedy becomes buffoonery. (6) The story takes place in fairy-tale days of old (traditional).....OR in Hollywood.....OR in the United States during the depression.....OR in a doll house with the Fairy Godmother being a robot.....OR with Cinderella being a trainee in a ballet school.....OR any other situation that the particular artistic director desires. (7) There is much choreography, especially in the beginning of the ballet, that is quite simiple, but as the ballet progresses, the choreography allows the dancers to show their skills.....OR the choreography is simplfied.....OR the choreography is somewhere in between. (8) Besides the ballet itself, the DVD has extras.....OR it does not. (9) There are copious notes included with the DVD.....OR there is practically nothing. I have seen several live productions of "Cinderalla," but I have only two on DVD: The Royal Ballet with Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell, and The Birmingham Royal Ballet with Elisha Willis and Iain Mackay. This is how I feel that those two fare with the above factors. (1) The Royal Ballet (RB) eliminates the beginning of Act 3 with regard to the search, and starts with the Prince arriving at Cinderella's house. The Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) eliminates most of that search and then goes to Cinderella's house. (2) With the RB, Cinderella dances at home in pointe shoes; with the BRB she dances in her bare feet. (3) The RB has Cinderella living with her father; the BRB has her living with her stepmother. (4) The stepsisters are danced by men in the RB production and by women in the BRB production. (5) The stepsisters perform beautiful comedy with the RB, but this comedy, with the BRB, is more to the silly side and does not compare to that of the RB, especially in the Dance of the Oranges. In fact, the stepsisters dance much too well for the parts they are playing with the BRB production. (6) Both DVDs have the story take place in a traditional time period. (7) The choreography for both versions is simple where required and allows the dancers to show their skills when that is required. The RB version is choreographed by Frederic Ashton, and the BRB version is choreographed by David Bintley. (8) Neither DVD has any notes. They both have just one sheet of paper which has arbitrarily divided the ballet into tracks. Although these tracks are named, they have nothing to do with the actual names of the dances being performed since many of the dances are combined to form each of the tracks. The reason for this is that both DVDs were issued by Kultur. Kultur is infamous in that they never include anything worthwhile with their DVDs, a total lack of consideration for the purchasers of their DVDs. Just look at the ballet DVDs issued by Opus Arte, Bel Air Classiques, TDK, Arthaus Musik and EuroArts to name more than just a few. Kultur is an absolute disgrace. (9) Neither DVD contains any extras, and this, once again, is an example of Kultur's apparent disregard of the wants and needs of ballet lovers. This lack of extras is even more surprising with regard to the BRB's DVD since I have the Blu-ray version, and a Blu-ray DVD is able to contain much more material than an ordinary DVD. I admit that I have not seen all, or even many, of the DVDs that are available, but my favorite version, based upon what I have seen live and the two DVDs that I have, is the RB version, mainly because the fantastic portrayal of the stepsisters by Frederic Ashton and Robert Helpmann. This is by no means an attempt to slight the BRB version which is also very good. The RB DVD is not Blu-ray, but the quality of the picture is quite good considering that it was made in 1969. The beautiful comedy does so much for the ballet, but it does not go over the top as I have seen in one live production recently. The stepsisters in that production made the Keystone Cops look like serious drama. I would love to see a new, Blu-ray, production of the Frederic Ashton version by the Royal Ballet. Although I believe the quality of the dancing to be very high in both DVDs, I will leave a technical analysis of this to those who are much more expert in this field than I. I don't think you will go wrong with either choice.

I'm posting comments originally written as a response to a review. I think what I wrote passes as a review: I thought it was wonderful. Inventive without being bizarre - I think you know what I mean by "bizarre;" those cruel and goofy stagings and settings that are more about getting attention than creating something coherent. I watched the production on a large screen in Blu-ray. That's about the only way to appreciate any sort of staged production. I watched it with someone who knows and understands ballet but isn't set into a fanatic mindset that allows only one production or a certain cast to "own" a ballet. She said they were incredibly good. Brilliant. And so on. I'm familiar with David Bintley's choreography - there's not a lot of it preserved - from his "Penguin Cafe" ballet. The Penguin Cafe Orchestra [DVD Video ] That was amazing and I was happy to see Bintley stepping up to full-length classical ballet. The orchestra was overwhelmingly good. I was astonished by everything in this production, by how professional this smaller (?) company was and how lavish the final product was. My only tiny complaint was in how some of the dramatic moments didn't have the impact I'm used to. I'm a sentimental old fluff and I'm used to getting choked up by Cinderella's arrival at the ball and at her discovering the glass slipper the morning after. One thing that impressed me was how the funny moments were actually funny. In ballet, what passes as comedy is barely amusing. Bintley's staging was SERIOUSLY funny in the same way the poignant moments had real weight, not just conventional "ballet" drama.

A ballet, in common with all other composite art works, is a sum of its parts. And the artistic "arithmetic" in this ballet does not add up. Certainly, not to add up to five stars. I'm giving this ballet performance three stars, and that's stretching it. I start by saying what I liked, indeed, adored about this production: it was the dancing and acting, i.e., miming of Elisha Willis. I fell in love with her. It was easy. Elisha is young, beautiful, has an engaging, indeed, captivating personality, and, of course, she is a superb ballerina! If she were with the French Opera Ballet she'd surely be a danseuse etoile. I'm surprised that neither the French, nor the Royal Opera Ballet organizations, have not stolen her away from Birmingham. However, a ballet, as noted, is a composite work of art. Thus, one looks to the contributions of the behind the scenes people, and those in the orchestral pit, whose artistic efforts make it possible for a Work, such as Prokofiev's Cinderella to be performed. They are as important to the success of a ballet as is the performance of the Ballerina. This ballet's billing credits list a Director who is also the Choreographer, a Set and Costume Designer, and a Stage Lighting Designer. The artistic efforts of these individuals will create (or, alas, destroy) the visual milieu, the artistic setting of the two dimensional story, i.e., book and score, being reproduced as a three dimensional stage work. (There is a new breed of dance forms performed on blank stages,without a story line -or at least one apparent to me- I'm not a fan of this dance form). Cinderella, like Giselle, Sylvia, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, to name a few examples, require the story line of the ballet to be supported, indeed, enhanced, by the beauty of the settings in which the ballet is performed. Cinderella is a classic fairy tale Ballet. Thus, to create the magical ambiance, and to maintain it through the ballet's performance, the design of the costumes and sets, and their lighting, are key parts of the ballet, seen as a composite work of art. I thought the costumes in general, the set designs and the set lighting were poor, indeed, hostile to the ballet's appearance! Examples: I'll skip the drab kitchen color and segue to the critical ballroom scenes. The steps leading into the ballroom are painted various shades of blue. Down these steps will come a beautifully clothed Cinderella, and her Prince. But the steps are so drab!! They looked like dirty subway steps! Then the principal costume color for the guests at the Ball is blue. Shades of blue against blue is bad enough to create the illusion of a regal ballroom. But to compound it is the lighting. Or better said, the absence thereof! Thus, there are scenes in the drab kitchen where performers almost literally fade into the woodwork, and the lack of proper lighting literally took the light out of thre ballroom. The coach and giant clock, are great pieces of stagecraft. But the mish-mash of poor lighting and poor color selection, took away from the sets the colorful, magical ambiance the Cinderella Ballet story calls for. If the Ballet's performance consisted solely of the superb dancing and acting of Elisha Willis, then Five stars would have been my verdict. But since I pay to see a performance in its totality, Three Stars, and that's stretching it, is all I can rate this ill lit, poorly colored performance of Cinderella. Elisha, see the light: run off to London or Paris. King Arthur, Arthur Stanley Katz, 25 May, 2011

There have been several performances of "Cinderella" available on disc, and I think they own them all. They have all had problems: poor production values, poor camera work (in the Frederick Ashton version), poor direction, etc. Thus, when I attended the Pacific Northwest Ballet's wonderful version last year, with Carla Körbes in the lead role, I thought that just maybe I would never see a better Cinderella. The person with whom I attended the PNB version still likes that one better, but I would have to go for this BRB blu-ray. The main reason is Elisha Willis. She is the ideal Cinderella. She really comes across very well as an "everygirl." Her acting is very convincing and not even all that stagy...which makes the way she lights up at the ball even more amazing. Anyone watching this production sympathetically, male or female, will kind of fall in love with Cinderella. And Willis's dancing is first class, worthy of any great ballet company. Iain Mackay as the Prince is adequate. I think he was picked mostly for his princely looks, but that's OK. Cinderella is the one who really matters. The choreography is mostly perfect: a kind of abridged, playful, sometimes speeded up version of the more serious Petipa classicism. It makes the whole work seem like something of a ballet in miniature. In one of the Prince's solos, a few mazurka steps are added at the very end where you don't expect them, which adds a feeling of lightness. One of Cinderella's solos is something of a summary of one of Aurora's in Sleeping Beauty-which I don't take as plagiarism but rather as a clever tribute. It's as if Cinderella were Aurora's little sister. My friend who preferred the PNB version cited the superior choreography given there to the ball dancers, and I don't think I can argue with that. One of the reviewers criticized the sets, and I suppose I can agree that the kitchen set is awfully dingy. However, in this version the stepmother and her daughters do come off a bit more like pretentious hillbillies with a bit of spending money, especially at the ball, so maybe the shabby kitchen is dramatically appropriate after all. Be that as it may, I absolutely loved the sets for the ball and the finale. Their lack of realism was perfect for making the whole story seem like a dream: the way the night sky blends into the architecture of the palace...and especially the finale set's spectacular abstract sunrise combining many colors but centering on gold...and the highly color-blended lighting that bespeaks ecstasy. If you want something totally literal, then don't go for this. If you want a dreamlike ballet, then this is for you.

The Birmingham production of Cinderella is spectacular! The blu-ray disc can be used to show off your HD TV. This Cinderella is a gem! The production had everything, the comical step-sisters, adorable little mice, touching Cinderella and a charming prince. Prokofiev's music was perfectly matched by the choreograph. The sets were spectacular. The huge clock on stage striking mid-night was unforgettable. The whole show was more than the sum of its parts. It had a dream-like quality and was simply magical. The blu-ray disc does the colorful performance justice. The images are sharp, the movements are smooth. There are two sound tracks. The LPCM stereo is fantastic. The other is AAC Doulby 5.1. I only have stereo equipments, so I have to let others to comment on the surrounding sound.

Extraordinary ballet performed by the two principals:the incomparable Raisa Struchkova (Cinderella) and Genadi Lediakh (Prince) in this superb color motion picture. No Cinderella production can came any closer to this one. ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT.

I have always found the music of Cinderella as one of Prokofiev's fascinating compositions, although the general opinion decades ago was that it was more of a Children's thingy. The ballet too, was relegated to the realm of slapstick and in some cases, experimented with to the point of Eurotrashy type of approach.(I have had the Fredrick Ashton choreographed version starring Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell for some time and enjoyed it tremendously - The Paris version disappointed horribly - The Monte Carlo version is Morose). I would rate this one even better than the 1969 Royal Ballet production and many others for a few reasons: 1. Prokofiev's music points to a work that is complex. It is a mixture of fantasy, comedy, romance and quiet desperation. This production has less of slapstick and more of substance, quite unlike the Ashton production portrays in its approach. 2. There is some slapstick in this one too, but of the more subtle and difficult kind that Dumpy has brought out so well that she is really my star of this production....Skinny and stepmother are not too far behind... 3. They did not cast men as ugly sisters to make them look ugly. The ugliness brought out by Skinny (Gaylene Cummerfield) and Dumpy (Carol-Anne Millar) are those of their 'mind and attitude' - which makes them ugly rather than their physical attributes... The faulty footwork of Dumpy needs a lot of effort and work, and she has pulled it off brilliantly (Something like Alain in La Fille Mal Gardee)...Marion Tait as the stepmother is a wonderful actror which does a world of good for the ballet as a whole... her meanness is beautifully portrayed. 3.Elisha Willis dances the role of Cinderella and Iain Mackay portrays the Prince. Both are really good in their roles, nothing to complain.... 4.Choreographer David Bintley shows far more maturity in his approach towards this work than any others I have seen. The sets, by John Macfarlane, are excellent and go well with the ballet and thankfully, they both have refrained from trying to make the ballet fit a different period and is thankfully devoid stuff and nonsense from the 22nd century or eurotrash. (The Paris version locates the story in Hollywood ...The Prince is a movie star and the Fairy Godmother a producer!) 5. The music is well performed and the recording and video are superb. Well done, Birmingham... far better than was probably expected and certainly trumps most other productions of Cinderella by quite a few yards, although some music, therefore dance, has been deleted in this version. I did not miss those too much. A Blu Ray that satisfies beautifully.... recommended highly.

Magnifique ballet, une belle interprétation, de très beaux costumes et une chorégraphie intéressante et inventive. J'ai beaucoup aimé cette version de Cendrillon, les danseurs solistes sont très bons et émouvants

Una bellissima rappresentazione sulle musiche di Prokofiev. Bravi i ballerini e tutta la produzione per aver realizzato una versione d'incanto di questa celebre favola.

It was great - much clearer than I expected. Louise

Dürfen alle Ballett Fans. Klassisches Ballett ist einfach fantastisch und diese Eleganz beim tanzen. Wer nicht ins Theater gehn kann, dann schaut man sich gerne das Ballett zu Hause an.