Cinderella
1893: Postcard of the ballerina Anna Johannsen as the Fairy Godmother is the Petipa/ Cecchetti/ Ivanov ballet "Cinderella", Photo: Unknown- photographer of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. St. Petersburg.
QUICK F A C T S
- ✦ The most famous modern version of Cinderella uses the 1945 score by Sergei Prokofiev, which remains the foundation for many productions today.
✦ Cinderella premiered in December 1893 at the Mariinsky Theatre.
✦ The ballet featured choreography by Enrico Cecchetti and Lev Ivanov under the supervision of Marius Petipa.
✦ The original score was composed by Baron Boris Fitinhoff-Schell.
✦ The libretto was written by Lidia Pashkova and Ivan Vsevolozhsky.
✦ The original production was performed in three acts, though modern productions of Cinderella vary widely around the world today.
✦ Italian ballerina Pierina Legnani helped make the ballet famous by performing 32 consecutive fouettés, a dazzling spinning technique rarely seen at the time.
✦ Most of the original choreography and music from the 1893 production have been lost.
✦ A surviving musical variation from the ballet later became part of the famous “Pas de Deux” in Le Corsaire.
Natalie Böck in Aschenputtel, Ballett Augsburg. Photo: DanceCenter No1, commons.
S U M M A R Y
Most people know the story of Cinderella, but few realize that the tale may go all the way back to ancient Greece. One of the earliest versions tells the story of Rhodopis, a young Greek girl whose slipper is carried away by an eagle and dropped into the lap of an Egyptian king. Over time, the story changed before eventually becoming a ballet loved around the world.
Cinderella performed by Japanese ballerina Yaoko Kaitani in Tokyo, 1955 — one example of how the beloved fairy-tale ballet spread to stages around the world.
Cinderella by Frederick Ashton, Polish National Ballet, dancers: Aleksandra Liashenko (Cinderella) & Anna Lorenc (Fairy Godmother) 2010. Photo: Ewa Krasucka, commons.
Many people believe the first Cinderella ballet premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia in 1893, but earlier ballet versions actually appeared in Vienna, London, and Paris during the early 1800s. Still, the lavish 1893 Russian production became the most famous early version. Choreographed by Enrico Cecchetti and Lev Ivanov under the supervision of Marius Petipa, the ballet impressed audiences with its grand sets, costumes, and magical stage effects.
The production became especially legendary because of ballerina Pierina Legnani, by her performing 32 consecutive fouettés, which had never been seen before in Russia. Although most of Petipa's version is lost, Cinderella continued to inspire new ballet versions. The German folk version, Aschenputtel, was collected by the Brothers Grimm, and inspired many moodier ballet and theatrical adaptations of Cinderella. The most famous modern adaptation came in 1945, when Sergei Prokofiev created the score that still forms the basis for many Cinderella ballets performed today.
Margot Fonteyn Cinderella 1957. The ballet was performed on Producers Showcase, NBC Television.
E N C O R E
✦ On Today’s Stage
Cinderella remains one of the world’s most beloved story ballets, performed in productions ranging from grand fairy-tale spectacles to darker interpretations inspired by older folklore traditions.
✦ Iconic Interpreters
Famous dancers associated with Cinderella include Pierina Legnani, whose legendary 32 fouettés amazed audiences in the 1893 production, along with celebrated modern interpreters such as Natalia Osipova, Margot Fonteyn, and Frederick Ashton’s influential Royal Ballet version.
✦ Legacy
From ancient folklore and literary fairy tales to modern ballet stages around the world, Cinderella has remained a timeless story of hope, transformation, kindness, and resilience for generations of audiences.