Cinderella

Faithful to his reputation…

as a fairy tale paleo-anthropologist, Jean-Christophe Maillot removes a layer of sweetness from Cinderella and offers a poignant reflection on how the memory of those who have gone shapes the future of those who remain. The theme of the Prince marrying the commoner (source of hope and disillusionment for entire generations) is no longer the guiding thread of the ballet. The choreographer devotes little attention to it and prefers to focus on the emotional workings that create the instinctual mechanics of this timeless tale. Beyond a reflection on grief, Jean-Christophe’s Cinderella paints a humorous yet ferocious picture of a society dripping with trickery where those pursuing pleasure are deprived of a sense of reality. Unbridled distraction is proportional to idleness and the two palace Superintendents of pleasure entertain a moribund court, suffocated by boredom.