Tonight I had the pleasure of seeing the Cincinnati Ballet’s production of Cinderella, made that much more intense by the privilege of having the live orchestra thanks to patron’s support.

The rich velvet curtain opened to a scene of Cinderella scrubbing the floor, the step-mother and the father working at a spinning wheel while the wicked step-sisters, danced gloriously by two of the ballet’s male dancers, embroidering a silk scarf. A comedic fight breaks loose over the scarf that is eventually torn in half by the step-mother to make both girls happy.

Tonight, the lead role of Cinderella was danced by Janessa Touchet. Throughout the entire ballet performance, I was memorized by Ms. Touchet’s hand and arms. While this may sound strange to some, the entire body is used expressively in dance and the arms in ballet most definitely. Janessa played a most exquisites role with her perfected art that has blossomed and embrassed over the years. An amazing confidence as a dancer, a special treat for the rest of us.

The quirky step-mother danced by another favorite, Kelly Yankle, was perfectly cast and held a wonderful balance of protective mother and producer of laughs. Speaking of laughs, the step-sisters, danced by Stephen Jacobson and Selahattin Erkan could have easily stolen the show. What fun they had in these parts! On more than one occasion the audience laughed with glee at the antics these two conspired usually against each other.

The father, danced by Devon Carney, Associate Artistic Director for the Cincinnati Ballet, is the part that I mentioned before I have never had the privilege of seeing. In this version, based off of Charles Perrault’s 19th century tale and using the beautiful music of Sergei Prokofiev, I enjoyed watching the attempts of the father to rescue his daughter from the step-family even though he is too weak in nerve to stand up to this woman he married and her own selfish wicked daughters.

The tale goes on by showing Cinderella’s own good natured heart as she offers to feed what she believes is a beggar, who turns out to be her fairy godmother, danced by the ever so lovely Sarah Hairston.

One of my most favorite parts in any ballet, which was performed in the third act tonight, is when the male role, the Price danced ever so powerfully and convincing by Olgucan Borova, lifts the female through the air with such grace and ease it looks like no work at all. Involving years of practice and technical genius if you ask me, I never fail to have chills run across my arms and the breath escape my lungs.

If you have not made plans to see the ballet this weekend, you must check it out and enjoy this lovely story for yourself.