Ballet West's Cinderella

I was really excited to see Ballet West's production of Cinderella last night because, not only is it incredibly beautiful, it is also really funny!  It tells the well-known story of Cinderella (with a few differences from the Disney version) and features music by Sergei Prokofiev, choreography by Frederick Ashton, and all new costumes and sets.  The stepsisters, who are portrayed by male dancers (Dominic Ballard and Jonas Malinka-Thompson), are absolutely hilarious and I loved the scenes where they are getting ready for the ball (their gowns are very elaborately embellished), having a lesson from a dance master, and dancing at the ball with Wellington (Robert Fowler) and Napoleon (Vinicius Lima, who is a hoot).  I can't imagine how difficult it must be for trained ballet dancers to appear so awkward and to dance so badly!  The Fairy Godmother (Anisa Sinteral) has the Fairies of Spring (Kristina Pool), Summer (Victoria Vassos), Autumn (Rylee Ann Rogers), and Winter (Nicole Fanney) give Cinderella gifts before she transforms her into a princess and I really enjoyed these dances (and the young dancers who appear as their attendants).  The costumes and backdrops for the fairies evoke each of the seasons perfectly and I especially loved the falling leaves for Autumn and the fog for Winter.  Lexi McCloud is a beautiful Cinderella and her dance with a broom as a partner is really endearing, her entrance to the ball is stunning (seeing her descend the stairs on pointe was quite impressive and gave me goosebumps), and the Grand Pas de Deux with the Prince (Jordan Veit) is incredibly romantic with intricate choreography that is dazzling to watch (I also loved the music during this dance because it is very dramatic, especially the timpani).  Cinderella's costume for the ball is gorgeous but I was really impressed by her transformation back to a scullery maid at the stroke of midnight because it happens so quickly.  The dances at the ball with the Prince's attendants (I loved that their costumes matched the fairies) and the courtiers are charming but I was blown away by the athleticism of the Jester (William Lynch).  The final scene as Cinderella and the Prince dance with glitter falling all around them is absolutely magical.  I had a wonderful time watching this ballet and I highly recommend it but only one performance remains (go here for tickets).