Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, and when watching story ballets dance fans typically savor the showy pure-movement passages, while simply tolerating the pantomimic sections necessary to convey the narrative of whatever fantastical tale is instigating the glorious classical dancing.
Yet, remarkably, as I watched American Repertory Ballet’s new “Cinderella” — choreographed by the company’s artistic director, Samantha Dunster — I was so caught up in how artfully the ballet told the familiar story that I often shed a tear, laughed out loud, gasped in surprise at unexpected goings-on, or waited in suspense to see how the plot would unfold.
Oh, and those much-anticipated full-out dance-y parts? They are so seamlessly woven into the dramatic action that the athletic excitement they bring to the proceedings only enhances our full-on involvement in the drama of the affecting fairy tale.
Danced to a recording of Sergei Prokofiev’s famous “Cinderella” score, the utterly charming three-act ballet premiered at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, March 6-8. At the Saturday matinee performance I attended, the lead roles were exquisitely danced (and acted!) by company members Ryoko Tanaka (Cinderella), Aldeir Monteiro (Prince Charming), and Madison Elizabeth Egyud (Fairy Godmother).
But it was the sage inclusion of students from the troupe’s affiliated Princeton Ballet School that make the story-telling in ARB’s “Cinderella” so compelling. Characters we care about, and their relationships to one another, are what drive any enthralling drama.
And here, early in the first act when we meet the adult Cinderella, she’s not alone in her kitchen-bound misery, but rather surrounded by an adorable cadre of loving mice, winningly portrayed by PBS students Georgia Peach Birenbaum, Sophia Bukhshteyn, Winter Castellano Ernst, Troy Jones, and Ethan Lee. Not only does our sympathy for Cinderella increase as we witness the warmth of her tender interactions with the mice, but their consistent devotion to her, how they never fail to “show up,” tug at our heartstrings again and again throughout the ballet.
Two of them swing their hips furiously in a silly dance designed to cheer Cinderella up. Another folds and folds, tirelessly assisting Cinderella with her laundry chores. Two boy mice graciously serve as partners, helping Cinderella practice formal court dances in preparation for the ball. After her mean stepsisters destroy her hand-made dress, it’s only when her mouse friends gather around to comfort Cinderella that we feel close to tears.
In the final act, when Cinderella comes home from the ball, eager to “relate” every detail of her adventure, the mice gather round and “listen” with impressive attentiveness. In that scene, I found myself as engaged by the reactions of the fine little supporting actors as I was by Cinderella’s “sharing.”
The pathos of Dunster’s ballet is pleasingly balanced by significant doses of comedy, supplied brilliantly by adult dancers Clara Pevel and Jasmine Jasper, as the Stepsisters, and Tomoya Suzuki, as the Jester who spends most of his time at the ball frantically trying to prevent the Stepsisters from hitting on Prince Charming or other unsuspecting noblemen. A powerhouse technician, Suzuki accomplishes all of his entertaining slapstick alongside wowing phrases of grand jetés, straddle jumps, and air tours.
The comedic elements of the intricately-staged ball scene are framed by the lyrical waltzing of an ensemble of aristocratic couples that foreshadows the romantic sensibility soon to overtake the action. In the ballet’s climactic pas de deux sequences, Tanaka and Monteiro do not disappoint. Both imbue thrilling, solidly executed classical partner work with enchanting romanticism and musicality — he looks totally smitten with her from the moment she appears, and she dances as if bursting with happiness. But wait!
Before all is said and done, prior to settling in with Prince Charming, Cinderella invites her mice friends to the palace. She must see if her newfound prince meets with their approval. They check him out, he passes muster, and everyone lives happily ever after.
American Repertory Ballet next appears at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in “Americana,” May 1-3, 2026.
