Loughlan   
       Prior     DANCE +

Program Notes: 

In this poignant new adaptation for Ballet Ireland, Cinderella becomes Ellie—a young Irish immigrant forging a new life against the backdrop of 1950s New York. During this period, thousands of Irish men and women left their homeland in search of opportunity, driven by economic hardship and the promise of a new future. For many, emigration brought deep emotional loss and the pain of separation—echoing Cinderella’s own experience of isolation.

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In the land of opportunity, Irish women often began with little more than hope and determination. Taking on long hours in factories or domestic work, they faced prejudice and challenge, yet through resilience and imagination, they built better lives. Their stories mirror the transformative journey at the heart of Cinderella—a passage from struggle to self-realisation, from hardship to joy.

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Embellished with fantasy, magic, and romance, Ballet Ireland’s Cinderella reimagines this classic tale through a distinctly Irish lens—an evocative, heartfelt reflection on hope, courage, and the belief that even in the hardest of times, dreams can still come true.