I always wanted to grow up and be either a ballerina, or a princess. Those were my serious career ambitions when I was a little girl. Luckily, no one ever told me that the chance of becoming either was about as likely as marrying Jordan Knight, so I have been able to continue living my life honestly believing that dreams can come true. One of the very first things I noticed when I walked into the Auditorium Theater this time was an adorable little girl dressed up as a princess, crown and all. To me, this truly personified the theme for The Joffrey Ballet’s 2010 performances of Cinderella, Live The Fairytale. The company does everything possible to be certain that you are successfully immersed in this enchanted story.
I always thought it would be completely impossible to bring a Disney movie to life. I have seen shows on- and off-Broadway do their very best, but the Joffrey is the first that I have actually seen succeed at such a feat. The special effects, the costumes, everything down to the expression on the prince’s face (think Gaston in Beauty and The Beast) could have danced off the page of a Disney storybook.
The stepsisters, who are traditionally played by men in the ballet, maintain their over-the-top slapstick banter throughout the entire show without a single falter in character. Hilarious and overly-expressive, they provide comic relief and true joy. Cinderella, played by Victoria Jaiani, shows us what a true princess would look, act, and dance like. Flawless, graceful, gracious, and powerful in each of her movements, she will make you swoon in awe. Preceded by her entourage of seasonal fairies, Cinderella appears at the ball, draped in a tulle “cloak” the length of the stage. She appears larger than life; a dream come true before my very eyes. I was also impressed by the strong performances of each of the fairies. The choreography was extremely well-suited for each dancer and it was refreshing to see company artists of varying body types dancing together. The only performer that lacked in both strength and poise was the fairy godmother. Without the stage presence one would desire for such a powerful and maternal role, she broke the spell and became just a dancer in a pretty tutu.
This show is truly assembled to make everyone in the audience hope and believe that they too can become a prince or princess. Seriously, you can even enter a raffle to win the Swarovski tiara and necklace worn by Cinderella. And with proceeds going to support the Academy of Dance, the official school of the Joffrey, I thought to myself, “How can I not?” And just like that, I helped another little girl or boy’s dream come true.
Cinderella only runs through Sunday, February 28th so don’t haste, time is running out! Tickets are $25 and up at the Joffrey Ballet’s box office or at www.ticketmaster.com.
