Cinderella

"Break your glass slippers"

"It is a playful, utterly sinful, but delightfully delicious mouthful of modern ballet. This really is a ballet that transcends decades."- One News

World Premiere 2022 / St James Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand

Followed by a National Tour

Commissioned by Royal New Zealand Ballet

Choreographer Loughlan Prior

Composer Claire Cowan

Costume and Set Design Emma Kingsbury

Lighting Design Jeremy Fern

Animation/visuals POW Studios

Video footage: Dan Harris

Photography: Stephen A'Court

"Only several viewings would allow an audience to appreciate the extraordinary diversity of ideas that fill the work.There is no doubt that we will never see another Cinderella like this one."
- Dance Australia

Break your glass-slippers:

In a world where fancy titles count for everything, peacocking reigns and 'more is always more', our tale intertwines the journeys of Cinderella and Prince Charming as they navigate separate struggles.

Cinderella yearns to break free from her dysfunctional family, save her father, and become her own woman, while Charming grapples with the pressures of conforming to royal expectations in matters of marriage.. Stifled and voiceless, they both exist in a narrative they feel they don't belong to. Only by following their hearts and gathering their courage are they able to declare true love as their authentic selves,
and rewrite their stories.

In the end, Cinderella makes her own choices and finds true love with the charming (small 'c') Royal Messenger, a boy she plucks up the courage to propose to after sharing the same head over heels romantic spirit with. Prince Charming meanwhile finds his soul mate in Prince Dashing, the 'Prince from the Kingdom Next Door', and comes out to
his mother the Queen.

In fairy tales as in real life, there can be many kinds of magic, and happiness, like glass slippers, is not 'one size
fits all.

"A joyous occasion, the production is a fairy-tale for our challenging times, and as the spontaneous applause and cheers erupting from the very first scenes indicated, there is still magic aplenty to be found in the theatre."
- Brighitte Knight, The Dominion Post

"Very well-known stories with a long history of telling are safe box office but tricky to change. Choreographer Loughlan Prior really steps up to this challenge with not one romantic story but two. A twist of our times indeed and both couples have sumptuous dancing and passionate duets."
- Deidre Tarrant, Wellington Theatre Review

"Prior ’s choreographic voice shines in pas de deux, both in the female/male and male/male variations. His innovative transitions, facings and lifts add elements of beauty and subtle emotion to the characters."

- Marianne Shultz, DANZ

"Art brings joy to desperate times, and right now, when queer folk are in such strife in many places across the world and discord is flaring up about our sheer right to exist, Cinderella is the balm that we all need. It is a celebration of love, euphoria, and endless queer joy, and I certainly felt that last night."

- Emma Maguire, The Wellingtonista

"This Cinderella is no shrinking violet but a feisty character who is willing, in the end, to take on the wicked stepmother at her own game."
- Dr Ian Lochhead, Theatre Review

Loughlan Prior DANCE +