‘Cinderella’ Showcases the Devotion and Skill of the Russian Ballet

by Ani Mosinyan

Alexei Ratmansky’s “Cinderella” entertains audiences and puts a modern twist on an old tale at The Music Center, where Russia’s Mariinsky Ballet (formerly known as Kirov Ballet) opened the 12th season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance. To say the performance is astounding would be an understatement.

Russians have always excelled in ballet, and the Mariinsky Ballet Company has certainly bred talented artists through the Vaganova Ballet Academy, including one of this generation’s greatest ballet dancers, Diana Vishneva.

Vishneva plays the lead role of Cinderella effortlessly, which is another understatement because the art demands more than just effort. What makes Russian dancers stand out among others is their attention to detail: the lines, the symmetry, the cleanliness of each step. Combine grace and strength, and there’s a prima ballerina standing before you. Vishneva ‘s movements are the defintiion of precision— not one step is overemphasized, nor is it glossed over. She carries herself with grace, fluidity of motion, and demonstrates a keen musicality.

The lighting and scenery of the ballet compliments the stage, adding a whimsical air to the production. Each scene is depicted simply, but elegantly. There aren’t too many props on the stage that take away from the dancers, but rather, they add to the illusion. The Four Seasons are represented with colorful costumes featuring snow blue tutus and bright yellow bodysuits. Cinderella’s stepsisters and stepmother are excellent crowdpleasers throughout the production while Vishneva’s variations emphasize the more somber and melancholic themes of the ballet.

“Cinderella” was certainly a more lively, comical, and light ballet in comparison to, say, “Giselle” or “Swan Lake.” Prokofiev’s score was nothing short of fiery and dramatic — at times light and fun, and at others, intense. While the production was more modern than anticipated, it lived up to its expectations, and its dancers performed with grace and precision, showing us what true dedication and commitment to an art form can do.

“Cinderella” ran through October 11th at The Music Center (135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles). For information on the rest of the 2015–16 season, please visit http://www.musiccenter.org.

Reach Staff Reporter Ani Mosinyan here. Follow her on Twitter.