Ratmanksy's Cinderella

Women in suits at the ball, planets as a method of transport and shimmying; definitely not the traditional take on Cinderella, but Alexei Ratmanksy and the Australian Ballet have worked the elements of dance technique, modernity, beautiful costuming and stagecraft in collaboration with the classic Cinderella score by Prokofiev to produce the perfect mix of humour, innovation and technique. And don’t forget that irreplaceable fairy tale magic we all loved throughout childhood. I promise, it’s still there, and Ratmanksy’s Cinderella is a sure-fire way to experience it once again.

Lana Jones is absolutely stunning as Cinderella. Her technique is effortlessly flawless, floating her way through quadruple turns with a steady smile on her face. For me, she and Ty-King Wall provide the sparkle in the story line. The pair take us through the love story, from the innocence and pure happiness at their first meeting, to the desperation of loss and finally to the mature, deeper love witnessed in the happily-ever-after. The step-mother, step-sister trio provides short bursts of humour with their antics; a perfectly executed over-the-top brattiness complete with bad mum-dancing.

In terms of costumes and stage production, Cinderella sits right up at the top. Jerome Kaplan has truly outdone himself; every costume is reflective of the character and works with the dancer to flatter and flow with the movements. Women in suits just topped it all off, challenging the gender roles within ballet and proving that women don’t have to wear tutus to dance, while preserving the romance of the ballerina in Cinderella’s character. The projections and kooky props add a sense of fun and mystery to the piece and only add to the magical effect. Even the curtain made me happy; the beautiful, rippling, golden, majestic, effervescent, can’t-think-of-any-more-adjectives meant that every act finished with excitement and anticipation.

Ratmanksy himself is the foundation, the scaffolding and the icing on the cake. Without the sophistication which exists in every step (even the ridiculous ones), the entire production would lose its glamour. Intertwining modernity with flawless classical technique with flair, Ratmanksy utilises the flow and movement in the upper body to heighten to emotional and dramatic appeal in the choreography. Every character, every movement, is engaging and effective. The corps de ballet are utilised to their full potential; rather than just being onlookers who can dance, they are integral aspects of the ballet. They have their own roles, which takes away from any discrepancies in timing and execution; what does an unintended canon matter when there’s a story to focus on? Ratmansky has used his genius to somehow combine classical ballet, modern movement, a fairy tale sparkle and lots of laugh in two and a half hours of smiles from my part.

A modern, yet beautifully traditional take on the classic Cinderella story. The Australian Ballet and Ratmansky have truly brought a unique magic to the stage. Definitely my favourite Australian Ballet production yet.

Love, Ingrid

Photo credit to Kristy Billing, Lynette Wills, Jeff Busby