Relaxed Performance
Cinderella Act II
Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm
This fact sheet has key information about the show and the theatre that you may find useful and that may help you to fully enjoy your afternoon with us.
Key Information
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Address: 145 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M5H 4G1
Length of Performance: 45 minutes
General Things to Know
» The performance will take place at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (Four Seasons Centre).
» The performance begins at 2:00 pm and will be 45 minutes long.
» There is a parking lot underneath the theatre. It costs $25.
» The parking machine takes credit cards only.
» There are many other places to park within walking distance of the theatre.
» If you are taking the subway, there is an underground entrance to the Four Seasons Centre at Osgoode station.
» If you need to pick up your tickets, the Box Office will open at 11:00 am
» The doors to the four seasons centre lobby will open at 12:45 pm
» You will need your ticket(s) to enter the lobby.
» The concession will be open prior to the performance.
» The auditorium will open one hour before the performance begins. At this time the ushers will open the doors and let people know they can go in and find their seat(s).
» There will be overhead announcements while you wait in the lobby, please be prepared for these.
» The seating is assigned/ticketed seating, that means that your seat is assigned and you can find the location of your seat
Jurgita Dronina in Cinderella. Photo by Karolina Kuras.printed on your ticket(s).
» An usher can direct you to your seat(s).
» There are a limited number of booster seats available, please ask an usher if you need one.
» The Four Seasons Centre has many floors — the street level (Main Floor Lobby) has the lobby, concession and boutique; downstairs (Lower Level Lobby) are the washrooms and coat check and upstairs (the Grand Ring and Ring 3) are the boxes/ balcony seating areas, the Quiet Room and a gender neutral/ accessible washroom.
Please note that the accessible washroom does not have a button, so someone may need to open the door for people using this space.
» There are stairs and elevators to help you get from floor to floor.
» Music for the performance will be played by a live Orchestra from the Orchestra Pit in front of the stage. Please stay back from the Orchestra Pit.
» When you enter the auditorium the Orchestra will be warming up. This may sound loud.
» The lights in the auditorium will be left on at a low level during the performance.
» A Quiet Room has been set-up, on the Grand Ring floor. Ushers can take you there at any time if needed.
» There is a host for this performance who will introduce the ballet and some dancers and give you information about the story.
» The host will speak before the ballet begins.
» There will be an ASL Interpreter on stage while the host speaks.
About Cinderella
James Kudelka created his stylish adaptation of Cinderella for The National Ballet of Canada in 2004 and it is now a signature work. Based on Charles Perrault’s 1697 fairy tale Cendrillon, the story tells of a young girl, Cinderella, who lives in service to her unkind yet comical Stepsisters and Stepmother, who share little of their money or opportunities with her. One night Cinderella is visited by a Fairy Godmother who magically procures a dress, carriage and a pair of glass slippers so that Cinderella may attend Prince Charming’s ball. But the magic will end at midnight, returning Cinderella to her lonely life of confinement.
Act II shows Prince Charming preparing for the Ball. He is uncomfortable with the women vying for his attention, knowing that they only want the wealth and society associated with royalty. The Prince wants none of these things. Just like Cinderella, he dreams of a quiet life filled with love and nature. When they meet at the Ball, they fall in love instantly. But midnight comes quickly and Cinderella’s courtiers turn into terrifying pumpkin heads, prompting her to flee. She leaves behind a single glass slipper, the Prince’s only clue to her identity.
Cinderella is a gift from The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada.
The National Ballet of Canada’s Relaxed Performances and the accompanying Visual Guide are made possible in part through the generous support of The Estate of Helen Allen Stacey, and An Anonymous Donor.
The National Ballet of Canada’s Education and Community Engagement programmes are generously supported by the Anna McCowan-Johnson Dance Accessibility Fund at The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation.
The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Economic Development & Culture Department; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage, through the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism; and the Government of Ontario through The Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
2022/23 Season Sponsor presents Cinderella
About the Performance
You will be seeing Act II of Cinderella – the Ball scene!
When you enter the auditorium to take your seat the Orchestra will be in the pit warming up. When the performance is about to begin, the host — Lisa Robinson — will introduce the show and the Orchestra and give some information about the ballet.
Here are some things about the performance you may find interesting or want to watch/listen for:
» Ballet tells a story through dance – this is the story of Act II Cinderella.
» This part of the ballet takes place in a stylish ballroom.
» The choreographer of this ballet is Canadian James Kudelka.
» The music for Cinderella was composed by Sergei Prokofiev.
» The costumes and the set were designed by David Boechler.
» Cinderella is usually a “rags to riches” story but in this version the choreographer focuses on the fact that Cinderella and the Prince are both outsiders.
» Music helps to build the emotion in the ballet – it can help us know how to feel and what is happening. If the music is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or put on sound dampening headphones.
» The music at the beginning of the act is light and uplifting.
» When the curtain goes up, a photographer is on stage. The photographer aims their camera at the audience and pretends to take a photo. There is a quick flash of light as they take the photo but no photo is actually taken. The photographer is a character in the ballet.
» As guests arrive to the Ball, the photographer takes their photo – there is a quick flash of light when this happens.
» The photographer takes a lot of photos – the flashes of light are always short and do not happen rapidly.
» The photographer leaves the stage approximately 2 1/2 minutes after the act begins.
» At times, there are a lot of dancers on stage.
» Because there are a lot of dancers on stage it is sometimes hard to know where to look — lighting helps us to know where to look during the dancing.
» Guests of the Ball are all dressed differently, which is unusual for the Corps de Ballet; often the dancers of the Corps wear identical costumes.
» Sometimes everyone dances, at other times only one, two or three people dance.
» Often the audience will clap after dancers have finished dancing (even though the ballet is still going on). If the clapping is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or put on sound dampening headphones.
» When two people dance together in ballet it is called a pas de deux.
» En pointe: Have you noticed that sometimes the ballerinas look like they are dancing on their tiptoes? Dance in this way is called “en pointe” and their shoes help them to do this but it still takes many years of training to dance like this.
» When the guests are dancing, the music becomes louder and more exciting.
» As the Ball guests dance, two couples move closer to the audience to dance – the women in each couple are Cinderella’s Stepsisters.
» The photographer re-enters the Ball.
» Everyone waits for the Prince to enter, he does not.
» There is great fanfare and the Prince enters.
» The photographer takes the Prince’s photo – there is a quick flash of light.
» Each of the Stepsister dances a solo.
» The Ball continues.
» Dancers enter from the right side of the stage with long ribbons that look like they are coming from above.
» Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage comes down from above.
» Cinderella is in the pumpkin carriage.
» Cinderella hangs above the stage in her pumpkin carriage for five minutes before being lowered to perform the Ball scene.
» Cinderella has to wear a safety belt in the pumpkin but her costume conceals it – she is safe inside the pumpkin carriage as it moves.
» The pumpkin carriage has its own interior lighting and must be plugged in overnight to charge.
» Each of Cinderella’s glass slippers is a pointe shoe decorated with roughly 95 Swarovski crystals.
» Lead characters like Cinderella have musical themes or sounds that are associated with them; Cinderella’s sound is light and clear.
» After Cinderella sits on the Prince’s throne the photographer comes back into the Ball. He does not take a photo this time.
» Cinderella spins and twirls across the stage – can you count how many spins she does?
» Servers bring out glasses for the guests to drink from. There isn’t really any liquid in the glasses.
» Chimes or bells can be heard in the music, it can seem high-pitched. If it is too high-pitched, you can cover your ears with your hands or put on sound dampening headphones.
» The music seems louder and faster here – if it is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or put on sound dampening headphones.
» The music gets quieter for a little while. After the Stepsisters have their glasses filled it gets loud again. If it is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or put on sound dampening headphones.
» The Prince and Cinderella are finally alone.
» They are happy.
» The Prince kisses Cinderella.
» They are falling in love.
» Cinderella and the Prince holds hands as they exit.
» The guests are still dancing at the Ball.
» The music at the Ball is faster and louder than when Cinderella and the Prince were alone. If it is too loud, you can cover your
ears with your hands or put on sound dampening headphones.
» Dancers wearing tuxedos and pumpkin heads enter the stage.
» Cinderella and the Prince enter.
» Cinderella is being lifted by other dancers.
» The dancers wearing pumpkin heads circle Cinderella to make the shape of a clock.
» Sounds like the ticking of a clock are played and the music changes to sound more urgent.
» The Orchestra makes the sound of a clock chiming.
» Cinderella is carried to the Prince’s throne, the guests continue to dance and then the curtain comes down.
» When the curtain goes back up, that will be “curtain call” — the time when the dancers bow.
» To find out more about Cinderella visit: https://national.Ballet. ca/Productions/Cinderella
COVID Protocols:
The National Ballet of Canada no longer requires proof of vaccination to attend performances. Masking is not required but is strongly recommended. All staff will continue to wear masks.