Published on Dec 31, 2023

Rating:

Genre: NCPA

Dates: February 2-4, 2024

Times: 7:30pm

Venue: Opera House of NCPA

Prices: 100, 180, 280, 380, 480, 550, 600, 800

Features: The National Ballet of China will be performing the Ben Stevenson' classic ballet Cinderella at opera house of NCPA from February 2-4, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Act I
While Cinderella’s stepmother, father and stepsisters are busy preparing for the royal ball, Cinderella is sent to clean the house. She picks up a broom to sweep the floor and then looks at her mother’s portrait in sadness. When Cinderella’s father comes home and sees the scene, he is overcome with remorse but is comforted by Cinderella. At that moment, the stepsisters burst in and interrupt the heartwarming moment between the father and daughter, taking away the portrait of Cinderella’s mother.

At that moment, an old witch suddenly walks in, begging for food. The stepmother contemptuously gives the portrait of Cinderella’s mother to the old witch, but the old witch returns it back to Cinderella. Cinderella gives the old witch some bread and sends her away. The tailor, wigmaker and dance teacher come to the house to help the stepsisters prepare for the royal ball. The stepmother takes her daughters away, leaving Cinderella at home alone. She pretends that the broomstick is her dance partner at the ball, trying to hide her loneliness, but she cannot stop crying. At that moment, the old witch reappears and she is magically changed into a fairy godmother! The fairy godmother enchants the kitchen into a forest where dragonflies flitted among the trees.

The fairy godmother gives Cinderella a pair of crystal dancing shoes. The four fairies, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, dance around Cinderella. The seasons change as they dance, and Cinderella’s old dress is turned into a beautiful gown. The fairy godmother warns her that at midnight, all magic will disappear. Afterwards, she magically transforms a pumpkin and four lizards into a magnificent carriage and steed to carry Cinderella to the ball.

Act II
In the palace, the jester is welcoming the guests to the ball. The prince greets everyone and invites Cinderella’s two stepsisters to dance. The celebration is halted by the arrival of Cinderella. The prince falls in love with her at first sight because of her beauty and grace. At the ball, the guests are presented with oranges, the rarest fruit in the country. The kind-hearted Cinderella gives her own to her stepsisters who do not get them, and at the same time hides her true identity. Cinderella is dancing with the prince when the clock strikes midnight. Seeing that her dress is about to turn back into its original tattered appearance, Cinderella hurriedly leaves the ball and the prince only picks up a crystal shoe that Cinderella left behind.

Act III
Back home in the kitchen, Cinderella recalls the ball she just had and feels that it was like a beautiful dream. She finds the remaining dancing shoe in her pocket. The stepsisters return home and proudly display the oranges they got from the prince. Cinderella hurriedly hides the shoe. The stepmother announces the arrival of the prince, who has come to find the owner of the lost dancing shoe. The stepsisters all try to stuff their oversized feet into the tiny crystal shoe. Noticing Cinderella in the corner, the prince asks Cinderella’s father if he can allow Cinderella to try on the shoe. As Cinderella gets up, the other dancing shoe falls out of her pocket. The prince is overjoyed to have found his beloved and asks Cinderella to marry him. Cinderella forgives her stepmother and sisters.

When the prince returns the crystal shoes to the fairy godmother, the kitchen turns into a magical world as Cinderella and the prince dance a romantic pas de deux. The guests shower their blessings on the new royal consort.

The National Ballet of China

The National Ballet of China, founded in December 1959, have top-notch artistic personnel trained at professional art institutes. With the care and support of people from all walks of life, the National Ballet of China keeps drawing on the strengths of different art genres with Russian skills as its core. In addition to ushering in a high number of world classics, including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, Carmen, Onegin, The Firebird, The Little Mermaid, La Bayadere, Cinderella, and The Jewels, the National Ballet of China has independently produced a great many masterworks with distinct national characteristics, such as The Red Detachment of Women, The Blessing, The Yellow River, Raise the Red Lantern, Peony Pavilion, Celebrating the New Year, The Crane Whisperer, Dunhuang, The Nine-Coloured Deer, etc., opening up a road of development and creation for the Chinese ballet art that features an amazing fusion of the classical with the modern and the national with the international.

Over the past 60 years, the National Ballet of China has made remarkable achievements in personnel training, repertoire expansion, ballet popularisation and education, etc. Many of its members, including ballet dancers, musicians and stage artists, have stood out conspicuously in various international professional competitions and among global superstars. In its repertoire are more than 200 Chinese and foreign ballets, some of which have been listed as Chinese art classics and international cultural brands.

As a famous ballet troupe with wide international influence, the National Ballet of China, on the one hand, plays an important role in promoting international cultural exchanges and Chinese humanistic feelings. On the other hand, it strives to give high-level performances for the Chinese audience and popularise art on campus, in communities and among children. Adhering to the spirit of “solidarity, pragmatism, self-improvement and hard struggle”, the Ballet is taking big strides forward with high morale along the older generation of dedicators’ footsteps to realise its century-old dream. FENG Ying is the presiding managing director and artistic director of the National Ballet of China.

Tickets for National Ballet of China Cinderella are Available now!