Photo of Amy Fote and Ian Casady by A. SarkarHouston Ballet
About the Production
Stanton Welch’s production of Cinderella premiered on February 21, 1997, at the Australian Ballet. Since then, Welch’s ballet has dazzled audiences at the Wortham Center in Houston, Texas, on three separate occasions: 2008, 2012, and 2017.
Photo by Julie SoeferHouston Ballet
About the Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM
In July 2003, the acclaimed Australian choreographer Stanton Welch assumed the role of artistic director of Houston Ballet.
Sergei ProkofievHouston Ballet
About the Composer: Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Born in modern-day Ukraine, then part of the imperial Russian Empire, composer Sergei Prokofiev studied at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. Prokofiev is considered one of the major composers of the 20th century.
Kristian FredriksonHouston Ballet
About the Designer: Kristian Fredrikson (1940-2005)
Award-winning designer Kristian Fredrikson was one of Australia’s most sought-after creatives. His last stage designs were for Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake (2006), an Art Nouveau/Gustav Klimt-inspired dreamscape.
1997 Australian Ballet Program (World Premiere)
When Welch created his Cinderella, he envisioned a strong-willed girl who takes her life into her own hands. Following his 1995 Madame Butterfly, Cinderella was Welch’s second full-length choreographic work.
2008 Houston Ballet Program (Houston Premiere)
Five years after Stanton Welch became artistic director of Houston Ballet, he brought Cinderella to the company. This was the third full-length narrative ballet by Welch to enter Houston Ballet repertoire. It premiered in the Wortham Theater Center.
2012 Houston Ballet Program
A year after the opening of Houston Ballet’s Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance, Welch’s Cinderella made its return to the Wortham stage. Fourteen thousand Houstonians saw the ballet during its seven performances.
2017 Houston Ballet Program
Welch’s Cinderella was last performed in the Wortham Theater Center in March 2017. Four months later, Hurricane Harvey blasted into Houston, flooding the Wortham Theater, and closing it for more than a year.
Photo of Oliver Halkowich, Phillip Broomhead, and Steven Woodgate by D. Donovan (2008)Houston Ballet
Notice anything unusual about this photo?
Pointe shoes are a type of footwear worn by female ballet dancers. Male dancers rarely dance on pointe unless they are performing a special character, like an ugly stepsister. Usually, men wear a leather or canvas slipper or boot with a soft sole.
Original 1997 set design and sketch by Kristian Fredrikson (1940-2005) for Stanton Welch at the Australian Ballet. Fredrikson designed several of Stanton Welch’s ballets including Of Blessed Memory, Pecos Bill (Tales of Texas), and the 2006 staging of Swan Lake for Houston Ballet.
Original sketch by Kristian Fredrikson for the Cinderella Costume seen in Act I.
Original sketch by Kristian Fredrikson for the Cinderella Costume from Act II seen at the Royal Ball.
Connor Walsh on The Prince and Dandini
Principal Conner Walsh dishes on the unexpected personality of The Prince and introduces a second love-interest for Cinderella, The Prince's assistant, Dandini.
Steven Woodgate on The Stepsisters
Ballet Master (and former Florinda) Steven Woodgate clarifies some of the family dynamics in Stanton Welch's Cinderella as he recalls what it was like dancing en pointe as one of the "evil" stepsisters.
