The most discussed and long-awaited premiere of this year, the ballet Cinderella, staged at Astana Opera by the famous choreographer Raimondo Rebeck to Prokofiev’s music, aroused great interest among the audience. A unique interpretation of a beloved fairytale, an abundance of subtle humour provided an opportunity to look at the main characters from a different angle.
Cinderella transformed into a modern girl, striving for self-realization as a fashion designer, and her beloved Prince is a worthy partner for her, appearing before the audience as a composer and a DJ.
The author of the libretto and choreographer Raimondo Rebeck, known to the capital’s ballet aficionados from his productions of Beethoven – Immortal – Love and How Long Is Now?, created a completely new work for modern audiences of different ages in collaboration with designers Yoko Seyama and François-Noël Cherpin. Using Sergei Prokofiev’s brilliant music, supplemented by the melodies by Jimmy Durante, Billy Ray Cyrus, Louis Armstrong, the production acquired a different sound. The symbiosis of classics with elements of jazz, pop and other modern musical styles sounded very organic. The Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, conductor Abzal Mukhitdin gave a nuanced performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s beloved music.
The ballet company under the leadership of the People’s Artist of Russia Altynai Asylmuratova met the choreographer’s unusual idea with great inspiration. Cinderella performers, the Honoured Workers of Kazakhstan Aigerim Beketayeva and Madina Basbayeva, gave a portrayal of a sweet and hard-working modern girl, adding purposefulness and self-confidence to their interpretations of the character. The Prince, performed by Daler Zaparov and Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Baktiyar Adamzhan, has also undergone significant modernization. Tired of idle life, he seeks himself in his calling as a musician, and not only achieves his goal, but also finds love.
The Good Spirit, portrayed in the classical version as the Fairy Godmother, plays a special role. To execute their part, Sultanbek Gumar and Arman Urazov had to master the hoverboard to perfection. Several especially difficult lifts were made on it, and such tricks are certainly not taught in any choreographic school.
The role of the Stepmother, performed by Assel Shaikenova and the Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Gaukhar Ussina, and her daughters “Sneezy” (Moldir Shakimova and Adelina Tulepova) and “Praliné” (Anel Yeskaliyeva and Zhuldyz Zhumazhanova) were vivid and memorable, requiring not only dance technique, but great acting skills. The King (Beibarys Akarys and Bostan Kozhabekov) and the Queen (Gulnur Kaissarova and Alina Khalimolla) became the personification of the old luxurious life, full of ceremony.
A new approach to choreography also required an unusual artistic eye. The audience was delighted with the set, costume, lighting and projections design. One of the main attributes of the narration, the carriage, caused great delight among the audience. Instead of the usual pumpkin, Cinderella went to the ball in a carriage made in the form of an elegant stiletto shoe – the epitome of high fashion.
The huge dress forms, which Cinderella used when creating her designs, were impressive. Colours played an important role in sets and costumes, helping the viewers to trace the professional development of a novice fashion designer. The plot development and a deeper immersion in the fairytale were facilitated by actual cinematographic techniques, which were very appropriately used in the production.
Astana Opera, mastering the classical opera and ballet masterpieces, continues to experiment, seeking new forms of expression. The new Cinderella staged by Raimondo Rebeck, was a successful attempt to modernize and convey to the viewers the universal and timeless moral principles: love and the pursuit of a dream are stronger than all life’s adversities.