25 Jan 2018

From horrible stepsisters, a fairy godmother, and a magical carriage, here are some fun facts about one of the most beloved fairy tales.

Ballet Arizona’s Cinderella. Photo by Alexander Izilaev.

• The earliest known version of the Cinderella story dates back to the 1st Century BC and the story of Rhodopis, a tale about a Greek courtesan who marries the King of Egypt, recorded by the Greek historian Strabo.

• The version of the Cinderella story we all know and love was published by Charles Perrault in 1697. Experts suggest Perrault simply updated old Cinderella folk tales from around the world for his ‘modern’ audience.

• The earliest ballet version of Cinderella was by Louis Duport, a French dancer, choreographer, and ballet master, in Vienna in 1813.

Circa 1830. Etching by George Cruikshank as an illustration for Grimm’s “Aschenputtel.” Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

• On December 17, 1893, Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Enrico Cecchetti presented their version of  Cinderella at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, with music by Baron Boris Fitinhoff-Schell, although his score was never published in any form.

• The first noted world premiere of the ballet Cinderella was on November 21, 1945 by the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Russia with choreography by Rostisalv Zakharov.

Ballet Arizona’s Cinderella. Photo by Alexander Iziliaev.

• The score for Cinderella was composed by Sergei Prokofiev between 1940 and 1944. He stopped writing part way through to write his opera War & Peace.

• Prokofiev’s score for Cinderella is one of his most popular and melodious compositions.

• The Stepsisters and Stepmother are traditionally travesti roles, females roles played by men.

Robert Helpmann and Frederick Ashton as the Stepsisters in Cinderella © Donald Southern/ROH 1948

• Ballet Arizona’s version of Cinderella features sets from Houston Ballet and choreography by our Artistic Director, Ib Andersen.

• Ballet Arizona’s upcoming production of Cinderella will feature 20 brand new tutu’s, made in our very own costume shop!