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February 27, 2005 , VICTORIA REVIEW
By Grania Litwin
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet has a winner in its splashy new piece, A Cinderella Story, danced here Friday and Saturday.
Luscious taffeta dresses, white ties and tails, wonderful choreography, superb sets, brilliant dancing technique and a stellar big band conjure up the elegance and excitement of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
The big band, conducted by Ron Paley on piano, played the kind of music you can’t sit still to – Richard Rodgers tunes such as Isn’t It Romantic and The Sweetest Sounds, newly arranged to a jazzy, bluesy beat. His own rhythm section from Winnipeg was joined by local musicians on piano, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, guitar and percussion. Musical sparks were flying from the orchestra pit, especially during some of the drum solos.
This is entertainment at its best. There was even a disco ball and babydoll pyjamas.
The choreography included modern dance, ballroom, be-bop, jazz and even ice skating, but none of it could have been executed so effectively without this company’s depth of classical training. They all looked as if they were dancing for fun too, with their buoyant, graceful, loose-hipped twists, jumps, slides and beautiful phrasing.
The new storyline by San Francisco choreographer Val Caniparoli and librettist by Sheryl Flatow told an updated version of the classic fairytale, in which family gathers round the TV instead of the fireplace. In one imaginative scene, before Cinderella (now Nancy) goes to the ball, a glittering pumpkin explodes and the TV cabinet turns into an bright orange convertible. This heroine drives herself in the ball.
Standouts in the show included a radiant CindyMarie Small as Nancy in a hugely demanding part. She never seemed to leave the stage, and the emotional range took her from tender scenes with her father and romantic ones with her “prince” Bob, to combative capers with her poisonous stepsisters.
Bob, danced by Guiseppe de Ruggiero, moved like a loose-hipped Italian stallion. Swaggering, strong and virile, he leapt into the air with virtuosic talent, and supported Nancy in many beautiful and unusual lifts.
After parting for midnight, they danced a haunting pas de deux in front of a midnight blue curtain, moving together while never touching, but when they met again it was in an up-beat steamy Latin number.
Sarah-Murphy Dyson, the foxy Victoria native was hilarious as one of the spoiled stepsisters. Her tantrums garnered plenty of laughs, as did her petulant ponytail. Stepmother Tara Birtwhistle shone in her role, especially dancing to the strains of The Lady is a Tramp, and Darren Anderson was perfectly cast as Nancy’s faithful companion, her dog. He lounged and leapt with everything from a hula-hoop and a Slinky to a pogo stick.
It’s a contemporary feast for the eyes and ears that will no doubt appeal to classical dance lovers, but also bring a whole new audience into the theatre. It was brought to Victoria by the Victoria Dance Series.
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