PROJECT DETAILS
CHOREOGRAPHER: Roman Mykyta
COMPOSER: Sergei Prokofiev, arranged by Pablo Salazar
PREMIERE: February 16, 2017 | Gildenhorn Recital Hall, University of Maryland, College Park | Performed by Дух Танцю – Spirit of the Dance Ukrainian Folk Ballet with guest artists from The Ballet Theatre of Maryland
CAST: 2 Women, 1 Man
RUN TIME: 19 minutes
SYNOPSIS:
Cinderella Abstraction is a one-act ballet that reimagines the timeless story of Cinderella through an intimate, contemporary lens. Rather than retelling every familiar episode, the ballet distills the narrative to its emotional essence, exploring the transformative power of kindness, trust, and unconditional love. Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s evocative score in an arrangement by Pablo Salazar, the choreography blends classical ballet with expressive theatrical movement to illuminate the inner journey of its three central characters.
Through abstraction rather than literal storytelling, the ballet invites audiences to reflect on the universal themes that have made Cinderella one of the world’s most enduring tales.
A TIMELESS STORY
The Cinderella story has appeared in cultures around the world for centuries, from the writings of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm to tales found in One Thousand and One Nights and echoes within the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche.
BACKGROUND & INSPIRATION
AN ABSTRACT INTERPRETATION
Rather than presenting every familiar event of the fairy tale, Cinderella Abstraction distills the story to its emotional and philosophical core. The choreography explores the ideas that goodness attracts goodness and that genuine love cannot flourish without trust.
A BLENDED MOVEMENT LANGUAGE
Inspired by the richness of Prokofiev’s score, the choreography is grounded in classical ballet while embracing expressive movement influenced by American jazz and Slavic folk dance.