VietNamNet Bridge - After the first performance in August 2013 at the Saigon Opera House, the ballet “Cinderella” became an annual awaited performance for HCMC audiences, especially young people. The work will be on stage again at the HCM City Opera House, No. 7 Lam Son Square, District1 on April 28 and 29.

The Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale “Cinderella” has inspired thousands of theatrical and staging artworks around the world.

The ballet “Cinderella” was composed by Sergei Prokofiev from 1940 to 1944. This is one of his most famous and most fascinating works, and has been a great inspiration for choreographers ever since. 

It premiered in 1945, at the Bolshoi Theater, choreographed by Rostislav Zakharov. Then there were over 1500 “Cinderella” versions all over the world with different choreography for the music of Sergei Prokofiev.

Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a conductor and pianist and honored as one of the greatest Russian composers of the 20th century. He succeeded in many genres of music: symphony, ballet, concerto, orchestra, vocal, soundtrack, music for theater, choir…

The thrilling story follows Cinderella, who lost her mother and lived with her stepmother and stepsisters. She is rejected and abandoned in the kitchen. 

The magnificent royal palace, the splendid, glittering dresses and the dance with princes under candlelight… can only be a dream to Cinderella. But then the Fairy Godmother and the little fairies came on set, make her dreams come true and begin a romantic and dramatic story. 

Appearing gorgeously at the door of the royal palace, she attracts the attention of everyone and steals the heart of the prince. 

However, this beautiful dream has to end at midnight, and in her hasty departure, she leaves behind a shoe… Determined to find his love, the prince finds Cinderella, and gives her happiness forever ever after.

The complex changes in Cinderella’s feelings from melancholy, disappointment, innocence to pure burning passion will superbly be demonstrated by ballerina Tran Hoang Yen, one of Vietnam’s leading artists. 

She won a gold medal at the National Professional Dance and Music Competition with her work “Orange Pain”, Silver Medal at the International Contemporary Dance Festival in Hue with her work “Dream Pieces” and a Gold medal at the National Professional Music and Dance Competition with the work “Con Mai Ban Hung Ca”.

The role of the prince is performed by outstanding Japanese ballet dancer Nobuo Fujino. He was nominated for Prix Benois de la Danse at the Bolshoi Theater in 2005 and won the Rising Artist of the Hong Kong Arts Development Board in 2003. 

With perfect technique, Nobuo Fujino took on many of the leading roles in the famous ballets Quixote, Giselle and Anna Karenina.

Many particular stamps were created in HBSO’s “Cinderella” version by the famous Norwegian choreographer Johanne Jakhelln Constant.

Having worked and made a resounding success with HBSO artists in the ballet “Nutcracker,” choreographer Johanne Jakhelln Constant knows how to develop Vietnamese artists’ strong points and reveal their inner expressions and helps them to overcome technical weaknesses to create a work filled with emotion, shimmering magic and entertainment.

Details about the ballet:

Music: SERGEI PROKOFIEV

Choreography: JOHANNE JAKHELLN CONSTANT

Assistant choreography: Nguyen Phuc Hung

Scenography & Costume design: Johanne Jakhelln Constant

Lighting design: Nguyen Phuc Hai

Cinderella: Tran Hoang Yen

Prince Charming: Nobuo Fujino

Stepmother: Dang Minh Hien

Stepdaughter: Pham The Chung

Father: Le Ba Nam

Fairy Godmother: Chloe Glemot

Spring fairy: Do Hoang Khang Ninh

Summer fairy: Tran Thi Hong Van

Autumn fairy: Ha Khanh Vy

Winter fairy: Nguyen Thu Trang

Fireflies: La Man Nhi, Thach Hieu Lang, Sung A Lung, Phan Thai Binh

Performing: HBSO Ballet

PV