Don’t Miss: Eugene Ballet invites all to royal ball
The Eugene Ballet Co. is bringing “Cinderella” to the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox on Saturday.
It’s a ballet that’s accessible for families, said artistic director Toni Pimble, since most children know the story already.
Plus, “the (Sergei) Prokofiev score is beautiful,” she said. “And then, of course, there’s the comic element of the sisters.”
Jennifer Martin, the company’s ballet mistress, agreed.
“It has a very human element to it,” she said. “It’s something that little ones can relate to – that siblings don’t always get along.”
Martin, a retired principal dancer, is returning to the stage as the stepmother.
“It’s nice to have this little escape where there’s still innocence and that joyful ending full of love,” she said.
There will be two performances of ballet on Saturday. Yoshie Oshima and Brian Ruiz will dance the roles of Cinderella and the prince at the matinee; Kaori Fukui and Jun Tanabe at the evening show.
The Eugene Ballet has performed “Cinderella” many times. This year, Pimble updated some of the choreography and costumes. Among the changes: The roles of the stepsisters are now danced by women, Danielle Tolmie and Beth Maslinoff. In the past, the roles went to two men dressed as women.
The stepsisters’ new costumes include fascinators – those headpieces that are all the rage in Britain. Pimble called on Martin to make four: “Two that are usable for dancers to actually dance with” and “two that are outrageously over the top – large and really gaudy,” Martin said.
“Cinderella is a very gentle character in our portrayal of the ballet. And of course the sisters are quite the opposite,” Pimble said. “It makes for a great juxtaposition.”
Local dancers will be part of the production.
Elizabeth Mick, a Spokane-raised member of the company, will dance the role of the spring fairy at the evening performance. Plus, two dozen Spokane 10- to 13-year-olds will be gnomes, sprites and pages.
Eugene Ballet worked with Sara Donally of Spokane Ballet Studio to cast the children’s roles. The children are from Donally’s studio and Inland Northwest Ballet.
“I think they’re just going to be in awe of the whole thing,” Donally said. “It’s going to be something they never forget.”
Kimberly Lusk
What: Eugene Ballet Co. production of “Cinderella”
When: 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave.
Tickets: $15-$41 for adults, $11-$37 for children, available at the Fox box office or through TicketsWest, www.ticketswest.com.