Russian National Ballet brings ‘Cinderella’ to North Central College
This performance will take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 8 at spectacular Pfeiffer Hall in Naperville.
Russian National Ballet presents "Cinderella". Photo: courtesy of Russian National Ballet; http://radchenko-ballet.com/en/cinderella/
“Ballet is a universe of the imagination, a place of magic and enchantment, beauty and romance. Its many worlds vibrate with graceful dancers, glorious music, and sumptuous costumes,” said American publicist and writer Trudy Garfunkel. Ballet is one of the most elegant and spectacular forms of art, and American audiences adore it. Particularly, Americans love Russian ballet, and North Central College is happy to welcome back Russian National Ballet Theatre.
This time, the dancers will present “Cinderella,” a full-length ballet in two acts based on music by Sergei Prokofiev. The world’s most beloved story will be presented at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 8 at spectacular Pfeiffer Hall located at 310 East Benton Avenue, which is in walking distance from downtown Naperville.
North Central College is one of the most respected venues in the Chicago area. Besides being a prestigious educational institution, the college’s Fine and Performing Arts Department each year attracts a great number of local and foreign musicians, singers, dancers and many other performers. The concert season of 2019-2020 is not an exception, and bringing Russian National Ballet Theatre to the historic Pfeiffer Hall in Naperville will certainly beautify this season and make it even more memorable.
“Once again, we’re bringing an incredible lineup for the fine and performing arts midseason at North Central College,” said Director of Fine Arts Brian Lynch in the News section of the North Central College website. “Through our fine and performing artists, we provide our community members with a cultural experience that’s second to none. Haven’t heard one of our artists? Try them and see! We promise you won’t be disappointed.”
Certainly, it is worth seeing legendary Russian ballet dancers on stage at least once in your life, and if you missed the troupe’s performances at Pfeiffer Hall in the past, don’t hesitate to use this great opportunity to see fabulous Russian ballet dancers. Booked and produced by Columbia Artists, Russian National Ballet Theatre brings “Cinderella” to North Central College by popular demand, and Chicago metropolitan area citizens are rushing to get their last-minute tickets.
“We wish to give people the opportunity to experience classical Russian ballet, one of Russia’s great cultural heritages as passed down to us through the ages,” is written on the Russian National Ballet’s website.
The Russian National Ballet Theatre is one of the best private classical ballet companies in Russia. It includes over fifty experienced and talented dancers. The company was established in Moscow in 1989. At that time, many Soviet dancers and choreographers started their own dance companies that combined the timeless traditions of classical Russian Ballet and new dance experiences from around the world. One such organization was the Russian National Ballet Theatre.
The legendary Bolshoi Theater principal dancer Elena Radchenko became the founder of the Russian National Ballet Theatre, and in 1994 by Presidential decree she was selected to be the first permanent artistic director of the company. Since then, the Russian National Ballet Theatre has been one of the leading Russian ballet companies and has been greatly appreciated and valued all around the world. It demonstrates the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet and shares the rich traditions of the Russian classical ballet school with the ballet lovers of many countries around the world.
Russian National Ballet Theatre presents "Cinderella." Photo: courtesy of Alexander Daev
The “Cinderella” performance is part of the Russian National Ballet Theatre’s American tour. The first tour took place in 1999 and since then it has become a good tradition for these great ballet dancers to come to the USA and share with the American public their brilliant dance skills, talents and techniques. Russian dancers have always been greeted with great respect, appreciation and love by American audiences.
Composed by Sergei Prokofiev, “Cinderella” is one of the most popular and melodious compositions and has inspired a great number of choreographers since its inception. It was written between 1940 and 1944 with the premiere being held at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1945 with choreography by legendary Russian choreographer and ballet dancer Rostislav Zakharov.
The Russian National Ballet Theatre’s production of “Cinderella” offers an abundance of lively, entertaining dance mixed with majestic and sophisticated touches of traditional pantomime performed against a lush and colorful setting. More than fifty highly skilled dancers from Russia will swirl on the waves of Prokofiev’s lavish, highly entertaining full-length ballet. One more time, the members of the Russian National Ballet Theatre will demonstrate to an American audience all the uniqueness and beauty of Russian ballet, which is considered to be the best in the world.
With touching music by Sergei Prokofiev, beautiful libretto by Yuri Vetrov after motifs from the fairytale by Charles Perrault, sharp choreography by Elena Radchenko, stage version and editorial by Elena Radchenko and choreography assistant Alexander Daev, sets and costumes by Sergei and Elena Radchenko, and lighting by Marina Borodina, this beautiful fairy tale about Cinderella once again will be performed on a high professional level.
There is no need to repeat the touching story of “Cinderella” as every little child knows it. However, there is a need to remind ourselves that this great fairy tale teaches us to be patient, strong and hopeful and to believe in love and miracles. All of us need that sometimes, just as the heroine of this tale – young and sincere Cinderella. In contrast, Cinderella’s hilarious stepsisters and their mother seem more mad than bad in this treatment. They add humor and irony with the help of the outgoing choreography and jubilant music.
The Russian National Ballet dancers are happy to impress American audiences with their touching and sincere moves, brilliant techniques and an outstanding presentation of Prokofiev’s masterpiece. “Cinderella” is a beautiful fairy tale where light prevails over darkness and good defeats evil. Every waltz and adagio in this ballet is a great example of elegance, grace and passion, and the dancers know exactly how to demonstrate all the complexity of human nature to their audiences.
The Russian National Ballet Theatre’s triumphal performance of Prokofiev’s most popular masterpiece, the ballet “Cinderella,” will light up and warm up Naperville during this cold and snowy February weekend. This is exactly what we need.
For more information and tickets, call 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit https://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/event/russian-national-ballet-presents-cinderella. Tickets are $25 - $40.
Natalia Dagenhart
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