Who doesn't know the tale of Cinderella: the orphan girl's fate, the evil stepmother and the helpless father. In Frederick Ashton's production, the stepmother may be dead, but she has left behind two capricious and selfish daughters who have relegated the orphan to the role of maid. However, good must triumph in the end, as Cinderella is fortunately watched over by the Fairy Godmother. Thanks to her magic, the orphan girl will live one night like a princess: she will go to the ball at the palace, outshine both stepsisters with her charm and beauty, enchant the prince and, of course, lose her slipper, but... We know the end of the story, but we come back to it eagerly, especially when it is told by Sir Ashton - a grandmaster of ballet narration, an artist with a unique sense of elegance and humour, the most outstanding British choreographer of the 20th century.

So we watch Sergei Prokofiev's ballet in the best staging, which has been enjoyed for years by the famous Royal Ballet in London. This is a performance for whole families and ever new generations. Adults absorb from it the beauty of English-style classical dance and the powerful dose of satire with which Ashton treated the two stepsisters (in a male performance!). Particularly moving, however, are the children, who follow the changing fortunes of Cinderella in suspense with the fairytale costumes and decorations by Dutch set designer Toer van Schayk. This is the kind of performance left with us by Wendy Ellis Somes, a former Royal Ballet star who has choreographed Frederick Ashton with the Polish National Ballet. And our company's soloists enrich each performance with their beautiful dancing and acting talents.

Polish National Ballet, National Opera Orchestra
Students of the Roman Turczynowicz National Ballet School and extras

Director: Wendy Ellis Somes

Cast: Aleksandra Liashenko as Cinderella, Maksim Vojtiul as the Prince, Sergey Basalaev as Step-sister Petronela, Carlos Martin Pérez as Step-sister Ursula, Zbigniew Czapski-Kłoda as Cinderella's father, Anna Lorenc as the Fairy Godmother, Adam Kozal as the Dance Master, Agnieszka Pietyra as the Spring Fairy.

Author: Frederick Ashton
Release date: 2010-11-27
Genre: ballet
Set design: Toer van Schayk
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Light: Mark Jonathan
Choreography: Sir Frederick Ashton
Costumes: Toer van Schayk
Duration: 155 min