Reflections on Cinderella

The role of Cinderella was challenging in two different ways. First and foremost it was so much dancing! Cinderella never truly stopped moving in Act I. Whether cleaning the house, reacting to the silly antics of the stepsisters, attempting to practice her dance skills during the ballet lesson, or playing pretend by waltzing with the broom, I always had to be thinking in my head, “What comes next?” Act II was a completely different beast to tackle. Cinderella’s solo after arriving at the ball was technically difficult yet required a serene sense of calm, control, and excitement Right after finishing the long solo with a dizzying double manège at the end, I had to run backstage and cross over to the other side to prepare for the pas de deux with the Prince. Mariana Zschoerper and Augusto Silva choreographed a beautiful, romantic pas de deux with a contemporary twist that was playful and passionate The ballet as a whole was a massive challenge stamina-wise

Secondly, I found I needed to dive deep into the acting and character building of Cinderella

Throughout the process of learning the choreography, I was constantly asking myself, “When should I be angry, hopeful, disappointed, excited? How do I transition between the subtle and dramatic emotions?” Sharon Wehner gave me some invaluable advice during one rehearsal. She reminded me that I needed to clearly show the audience what I was thinking and feeling and invite the audience into my world. Cinderella is an imaginative, playful character who is often in her own head. She explained that by slowing down the in-between moments, the audience would be able to follow along as the story developed. When I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to interpret a specific scene or sequence, I turned to the music Prokofiev’s score is colorful and magical There are nuances and dramatic shifts in the mood There was room for me to play but also times when I could fall back on the music to carry me and the story forward

This past season, I had the pleasure of choreographing and rehearsing the Cherubs – our youngest performing students at the school – for SJDT’s Nutcracker. For Cinderella, I was thrilled to have a chance to choreograph on the students of our school again, this time the dances of the Nymphs and the Sprites. I taught some of these younger dancers during the school year, and it was so rewarding to share the joy of dancing on stage with them. The Nymphs and the Sprites performed in the same scene as when the Fairy Godmother gifts Cinderella her sparkly pointe shoes and transforms her raggedy dress into a tutu of rhinestones It is one of the most iconic moments of the ballet, so I aimed to choreograph both dances to be equally magical, joyful, and fun The dancers’ excitement was bubbling as rehearsals drew closer to the performance…

My excitement was also growing. This was my first time dancing the lead role in a ballet as a professional dancer. On the day of the performance, I kept telling myself, “I’m not nervous – I’m excited. I only have one show, so I just have to enjoy it!” But in the back of my head I was also thinking how only having one show meant I better not mess up These conflicting thoughts gave me the biggest knot in the pit of my stomach I had never felt so nervous for a performance

Usually when I get nervous, I remind myself of why I am dancing. As Cinderella, I was dancing for all those Nymphs and Sprites about to go onstage and experience the magic of live performance. I was dancing for all the children in the audience, maybe seeing a ballet for the first time. I was dancing for the families, friends, and community members who came to be swept away by a story about dreams coming true. Everytime I ran offstage for a quick change or after pushing through a hard solo, I made a point to cheer on my students, wish dancers luck, and tell everyone great job when they ran offstage Slowly but surely that pit in my stomach began to melt away Time flew by at double the speed Before I knew it, I went from feeling so nervous to feeling absolutely free on stage.

The whole experience of performing Cinderella was truly inspiring. I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to grow as a dancer, choreographer, and artist. After COVID’s impact on the performing arts over the past few years, I never take the chance to dance with a live audience for granted Dance has the power to change lives and create a sense of community I am so thankful to be a part of this community in San José, and I look forward to being back in the studio soon for another great season with SJDT