Showing @ Festival Theatre, Edinburgh until Sat 22 Mar @ 19:30 (touring)
Northern Ballet‘s Cinderella brings this classic fairy story to life in an energetic and playful performance. This adaptation, that sees a dancer dressed as a teddy doing rolls around the stage, isn’t a formal affair that requires your Sunday best. It is almost the opposite as it tries to tempt its audience into hissing as the stepmother stalks on stage.
The show has a slight hint of pantomime without taking away the skill of the dancers, who are not just light on their feet but have a spring in their step. The beauty of how joyous it is to watch is partly rooted in the impression that it’s a joy to dance; smiles aren’t plastered on in the way a gymnast finishes her routine having missed a step, instead they seem genuine.
An atmospheric and modern score, written specifically for the production by Philip Feeney, accompanies David Nixon‘s bright and fun choreography. Feeney’s extensive use of percussion creates a dynamic undertone that provides a perfect accompaniment to the dancers movement, telling the story simply and without confusion. Calling upon Russian inspiration, Dixon’s adaptation relies on Duncan Hayler’s set and Kim Brassley’s costume’s to bring the illusion to life, working harmoniously to conjure a sublime visual spectacle.
Humour plays a key part in Nixon’s choreography. It comes through specifically in the stepmother’s movements, who resembles Pride and Prejudice‘s Mrs Bennett as she’s lifted away from the prince after trying to draw his attention to her daughters. Dixon’s playful nature extends to the performance of the Magician, who in the Russian version comes in to replace the Fairy Godmother. He dances onto the stage as the personified extention of Dixon’s slapstick comedy in the magnificent skating scene. While the prince and the other regal dancers glide elegantly, he finds himself caught on the floor. Nixon’s version of this classic performance is truly a wonder to behold and can’t help but leave its audience stifling a laugh.