The combination of story, music and dance in the Royal Ballet’s Cinderella is a great way for all ages to discover the joy of great ballet.

The famous fairytale elements are all there in Cinderella: the spiteful Stepsisters, the Fairy Godmother, the ball, the striking clock. At the centre is Cinderella whose rags-to-riches journey finally unites her with her handsome Prince.

Frederick Ashton’s ballet is especially demanding in its principal roles, with moments of breathtaking brilliance and great charm. There are magical moments, as when Cinderella makes her entrance to the ball and her pas de deux with the Prince, but there is also humour with the Stepsisters tussling with each other as well as failing to charm anyone else.

Prokofiev’s music for Cinderella is one of the great 20th-century ballet scores – here conducted by Pavel Sorokin and Royal Ballet Music Director Barry Wordsworth – so rich in atmosphere and full of orchestral colour, a perfect complement to the stage pictures.

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