Cinderella back on stage

On stage at Piccolo Teatro di Milano

The students of the Ballet School reprise the roles of the many characters in Cinderella: the ballet to music by Sergei Prokofiev, commissioned by the Bracco Foundation and choreographed by Frédéric Olivieri, returns to the Piccolo Teatro Strehler from Dec. 13 to 21 for a total of ten performances.

Virtuosity and expressive qualities of the students are highlighted at different moments in the two acts of which the ballet is composed, full of classical and popular dances, court dances and exotic dances, pas de deux, variations, waltzes, mazurkas, pavanes and gavottes. Dances that Olivieri made especially fresh to enhance the preparation of the young students.

In the ballet, the dance of the fairies of the four seasons, called by the Fairy Godmother to turn Cinderella's dream into reality and lead her to the ball, stands out for its energy and liveliness in the first act, and in the second act, in which six scenes in addition to the prologue are devoted to the ball at court, the dance of the three oranges, a gift from the Prince that the stepsisters compete for, the variations and the pas de de deux of Cinderella and the Prince.

The character of each character is sketched through musical themes that follow the events narrated in the story: thus Cinderella is characterized by three different themes, the first emphasizing the sense of oppression and loneliness, the second the hope for a brighter future, and the third the falling in love and the joy of the serenity achieved. The stepsisters, on the other hand, are delineated through farcical and clumsy tones, while the stepmother enters the scene accompanied by harsh and threatening modulations, in sharp contrast to the melodious and reassuring notes of the Fairy.

In the role of Cinderella will be Laura Farina (8th grade), who had played the same role in 2022, and Maria Vittoria Bandini, making her debut (7th grade). In the role of the Prince will be Enrico Farina and Francesco Della Valle, both 8th graders. 

Many students and alumni of the Academy, from tailors to set designers, from wig makers to hair & make-up artists, from photographers to videomakers, are called to stage the show.

The sets are designed by Angelo Sala, the costumes of the main performers were designed by Chiara Donato. The sculptures were made by Fausta Cerizza, an alumna of the Theater Set Design Course. Costumes are made and designed by students and alumni of the Theater Tailoring Course, as well as by Sartoria Brancato.

Commissioned by