{"id":59434,"date":"2025-01-13T16:43:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T16:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/?p=59434"},"modified":"2026-04-16T07:21:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T07:21:51","slug":"cinderella-at-the-royal-ballet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/cinderella-at-the-royal-ballet\/","title":{"rendered":"Cinderella at the Royal Ballet"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Akane Takada Triumph<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Takada\u2019s virtuosity and the Royal Ballet\u2019s striking new design inject fresh life into Ashton\u2019s classic, elevating its magic to new heights.<\/h3>\n

by Alessandro Bizzotto<\/p>\n

Sir Frederick Ashton\u2019s Cinderella<\/em><\/strong> has always been my favourite ballet from the classical repertoire. It was also the first production I experienced live at the Royal Opera House<\/strong>, making it a work I have admired and revisited over the years.<\/p>\n

This timeless fairy tale returns to the Royal Opera House this season in a splendid new production, co-created with the National Ballet of Canada last year, following its previous redesign in 2003. The revamped staging boasts expansive sets by Tom Pye<\/strong>, which make fantastic use of projection, and sumptuous, vibrantly coloured costumes by Oscar-winning designer Alexandra Byrne<\/strong> (Elizabeth: The Golden Age<\/em>). The result is a production that breathes fresh magic into the beloved classic while remaining faithful to its roots.<\/p>\n

Entering the Royal Opera House on New Year\u2019s Day to see Akane Takada<\/strong> in the title role, I wasn\u2019t entirely sure what to expect, as I knew Cinderella<\/em> would feature a fresh new staging incorporating innovative visuals. Yet, reimagined by Pye and Byrne, Ashton\u2019s ballet emerges even more enchanting. Every aspect of the design \u2013 from the breathtaking transformation scenes to the ballroom, set in the palace gardens with a stunningly crafted fa\u00e7ade \u2013 offers a visual feast, reminding the audience why this ballet endures as a cornerstone of the Royal Ballet\u2019s repertoire.<\/p>\n

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Akane Takada and Joseph Sissens in Cinderella<\/em> \u00a9 Andrej Uspenski<\/p>\n

Akane Takada’s portrayal of Cinderella captures the character’s transformation from a mistreated servant to the enchanting belle of the ball with unexpected depth. In Act One, she exudes such warmth and generosity that it is almost impossible to foresee how she will later emerge as an imperial ballerina, displaying exceptional technique and charm in the Act Two ball.<\/p>\n

Takada\u2019s exceptional footwork, essential to Ashton\u2019s choreography, stands out. Her intricate, whimsical, and sometimes elusive movements demonstrate an impressive command of the style, which demands both precision and fluidity. With impeccable poise, she navigates Ashton’s complex steps with apparent ease. Her performance of the challenging second-act variation is a masterpiece: her balances are remarkable, and every detail is executed with astonishing clarity and technical brilliance, showcasing not only her technical prowess but also her deep understanding of Ashton\u2019s unique artistic language.<\/p>\n

Joseph Sissens<\/strong> is not an imposing prince, nor a dancer who likes to proudly show off his technique \u2013 he portrays quite a modern male lead whose attitude is more understated than princely. Yet he somehow has the confidence of a prince and the clean, precise technique of a principal dancer.<\/p>\n

At the same time, he is a solid and attentive partner. Takata and Sissens\u2019 movements complement each other effortlessly, as though guided by an invisible force. They flow smoothly from one step to the next, seamlessly merging into each other\u2019s arms, creating a gentle charm that enhances the light-hearted spirit of the ballet.<\/p>\n

T\u00e9o Dubreuil<\/strong> strikes the perfect balance of snobbery, disbelief, and comedic timing in the role of the dancing master, adding a distinct dandy flair to the character.<\/p>\n

The four fairies who dance against projected backgrounds in Act One are all a delight: Bomin Kim<\/strong> as the fairy spring, Yu<\/strong> Hang<\/strong> as the fairy summer, Annette Buvoli<\/strong> as the fairy winter, and especially Amelia Townsend<\/strong> as the fairy autumn, who spins through the choreography with commanding authority.
\nIn Act Two, Caspar Lench<\/strong> leaps with youthful energy as the jester, showcasing a display of athleticism and strength.<\/p>\n

The finale, with its glittering branches and unnaturally large stalks standing at the sides like extensions of the scenery, and a moon projected onto a starry, occasionally misty sky, could feel vaguely disconcerting, almost magically unorthodox for the fairy tale of fairy tales.<\/p>\n

However, the suspended staircase, stretching endlessly and seemingly merging with the stars, upon which Takada and Sissens walk towards the fulfilment of their dream of happiness, exudes more poetry than science fiction. It remains the perfect symbol of a future yet to be written, but one that, as all fairy tales dictate, will be bright and hopeful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Akane Takada Triumph Takada\u2019s virtuosity and the Royal Ballet\u2019s striking new design inject fresh life into Ashton\u2019s classic, elevating its magic to new heights. by Alessandro Bizzotto Sir Frederick Ashton\u2019s Cinderella has always been my favourite ballet from the classical repertoire. It was also the first production I experienced live at the Royal Opera […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":59435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-performance"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59434"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59442,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59434\/revisions\/59442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}