It’s Cinderella who leaves with Prince Charming, but it’s the ugly sisters-in-law who steal the show. The version of the ballet Cinderella by choreographer Jayne Smeulders, presented by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, is elegant, moving… and often hilarious. And this, thanks to the wicked sisters-in-law who multiply nonsense to attract the attention of the sovereign.
The spectators try to follow the graceful whippings of Cinderella, the spectacular leaps of Prince Charming, the tender pas de deux, but inevitably, the eye is drawn to the desperate antics of the ugly sisters-in-law. The dancers who performed these on Wednesday night at the Cinderella premiere, Vanesa Garcia-Ribala Montoya and Anya Nesvitaylo, were masterful in their sense of comedy. But make no mistake: it takes an incredible mastery of ballet technique to achieve ridiculously good point walking.
The main roles of Cinderella are played by different dancers depending on the performance.
Performed by Rachele Buriassi on the evening of the premiere, Cinderella is sensitive and graceful. We share her pain and her humiliation when she has to submit to her stepsisters, her hope when she meets the birds of the enchanted garden and her confidence when she appears before Prince Charming. She and he make a very nice couple and their pas de deux are the highlights of the evening.
Prince Charming, played by Esnel Ramos on opening night, is solid and explosive when it comes to executing jumps and pirouettes. We admire her immense patience in the face of the harassment of the awful sisters-in-law.
The wicked stepmother is perfectly wicked, but also majestic: she tries to show off the attractiveness of her daughters, but we feel a little discouraged by their clumsiness. Its performer on opening night, Montreal’s Myriam Simon, will be performing as a principal dancer after the performances of Cinderella after a remarkable career spanning nearly 25 years.
It was another Quebecer, Maude Sabourin, who brilliantly interpreted the very important role of the fairy godmother on the evening of the premiere. It takes a lot of work for him to thwart the dark designs of the evil stepmother and her hideous daughters.
The evening therefore alternates between very beautiful moments of dance and comic episodes. Impossible to remain frozen in front of the facial expressions of the mean daughters-in-law when they try to put on the delicate slipper left behind by Cinderella. Pull, push, pull, push, it won’t fit.
The costumes of Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt perfectly illustrate the character of the various characters, from the ridiculous nightgowns of the awful sisters-in-law to the shimmering dress of the fairy godmother through the rather discreet costume of Prince Charming.
In the room, several little girls put on their princess dresses on Wednesday evening to attend the premiere. It’s not every night that we witness a real fairy tale.
