Spring Fairy tutu from Cinderella (1968) designed by Jürgen Rose

The National Ballet’s first version of Cinderella featured some of the most unique costume designs found within the company’s repertoire. This tutu from the ballet was worn by long-time Principal Dancer Mary Jago. Premiering in 1968, the National Ballet’s Cinderella was the first production of Cinderella in North America. Sadly, it was only performed a handful of times before a fire in the National Ballet’s wardrobe destroyed many of the costumes. This tutu was luckily spared and represents one of only a few original costumes from this production held in the National Ballet’s Archives.
Choreographed by Celia Franca, the production featured lavish costumes and sets designed by Jürgen Rose based on the theme of the four seasons. Rose is an internationally acclaimed German stage designer and has enjoyed an illustrious career in design for ballet, opera, and theatre around the world. In addition to her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella was visited by four fairies in costumes decorated with seasonal flora including roses for spring, poppies for summer, apples and pears for autumn and twigs for winter.