Cinderella

Cinderella
Ballet Ariel
PACE Center
Parker, CO
March 16, 2017

Ballet Ariel is a dance school with a close relationship with the Colorado Ballet. Due to this connection, their productions offer audiences a chance to see talented students alongside talented professionals in an intimate environment.

The choice of the ballet Cinderella drew many children into the audience and the production was perfect for them. The PACE Center doesn’t offer subtitles for ballets like the Ellie Caulkins Opera House does, but they were not needed at all. The story closely follows the famous fairy tale and choreography clearly told the story.

The professional dancers who played the lead roles were a delight to watch. Their performances seemed effortless. Particularly intriguing was the jester, whose high jumps were awe-inspiring. Cinderella danced with the grace and beauty befitting a Disney Princess.

The older students in supporting roles were impressive. The two stepsisters never ceased to elicit laughs from the audience. The fairies were lovely to watch. The choreography for the younger students was entertaining and perfect for their dancing ability. It never felt like a ballet recital!
The sets were simple but effective. The costumes were beautiful. I was happy to see Cinderella’s ball gown looked more like a dress than a tutu.

The only disappointment was the recorded music. It wasn’t quite loud enough and the timing of it seemed off with the dancers at time.