Cinderella and her match
Cinderella, St Agatha's Auditorium
It is not surprising that after a year of hard work the cast of Cinderella put up a high standard show. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the students danced despite their young age. It shows that this was the fruit of good training and that the teaching staff at Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire (JCDC) is doing a good job.
Cinderella was performed in three acts and it was actually very well planned and directed because the stage was never overcrowded. The children's parts were never scenes of confusion and the choreography was flowing and very well related to the narrative. This is usually the main challenge in putting up a school show where the ballet follows a storyline as there is a risk of side tracking and losing the audience's focus. Ms Casabene dealt with this brilliantly.
The youngest students were given the short role of mice in Act I, which made their time on stage valuable, very fitting with their age and totally cute in their costumes.
The older students were grouped either as fairies or as groups of stars and dolls. They acted as a supporting corps de ballet throughout the show, backing up the fairy godmother in her magical role; a role well interpreted by Rachel Vella. The scenes were also rather original, for example Act II was an interpretation of the grand ball where both Cinderella's sisters (named Dumpy and Skinny for the occasion) were given a solo which they executed very entertainingly by Pamela Borg and Rochelle Gatt respectively.
Similarly the jesters did a fantastic job (Maria Cassar and Gordon Manche). Dorian Mallia as the prince was rather impressive and well liked by the audience. His dancing skills were obvious and he reached a very high standard in his solos with all the challenging dance steps executed so naturally.
The disappointing part in Act II was the Grand Pas de Deux which was danced by Cinderella (Johane Casabene) and the prince (Dorian Mallia) against the backdrop of a star-lit sky. The choreography was challenging and technical but perhaps not so flowing and passionate. Apart from the well executed lifts and point work, I felt that Ms Casabene's interpretation didn't have such a sensational effect as expected. On the other hand, her melancholic solo in Act II, when she found herself at home in rags reminiscing the night before, was exceptional and made up for what was lacking in Act II. In this solo, Ms Casabene's interpretation exuded passion and feeling and was also of high technical standard.
One scene to mention and which will be remembered as grandiose is Cinderella's departure to the ball in Act I where a "mouse-drawn" carriage took the stage by storm and dancers dressed as mice pulled Cinderella off to her dream world.
The props, backdrops setting and technical arrangement were perfect at all times, the only hitch being that the sound of the music was a bit too loud at the start of the show. On the whole the production team headed by Ms Casabene did a somewhat fantastic job, especially when one considers this is a new school only operating since 2007, although all the dancers are well experienced. I'd say it was definitely worth the ticket price; it's just a pity that these shows are mostly frequented by students' relatives and it would be nice to have a wider audience appreciate such talent.
Cinderella was performed in three acts and it was actually very well planned and directed because the stage was never overcrowded. The children's parts were never scenes of confusion and the choreography was flowing and very well related to the narrative. This is usually the main challenge in putting up a school show where the ballet follows a storyline as there is a risk of side tracking and losing the audience's focus. Ms Casabene dealt with this brilliantly.
The youngest students were given the short role of mice in Act I, which made their time on stage valuable, very fitting with their age and totally cute in their costumes.
The older students were grouped either as fairies or as groups of stars and dolls. They acted as a supporting corps de ballet throughout the show, backing up the fairy godmother in her magical role; a role well interpreted by Rachel Vella. The scenes were also rather original, for example Act II was an interpretation of the grand ball where both Cinderella's sisters (named Dumpy and Skinny for the occasion) were given a solo which they executed very entertainingly by Pamela Borg and Rochelle Gatt respectively.
Similarly the jesters did a fantastic job (Maria Cassar and Gordon Manche). Dorian Mallia as the prince was rather impressive and well liked by the audience. His dancing skills were obvious and he reached a very high standard in his solos with all the challenging dance steps executed so naturally.
The disappointing part in Act II was the Grand Pas de Deux which was danced by Cinderella (Johane Casabene) and the prince (Dorian Mallia) against the backdrop of a star-lit sky. The choreography was challenging and technical but perhaps not so flowing and passionate. Apart from the well executed lifts and point work, I felt that Ms Casabene's interpretation didn't have such a sensational effect as expected. On the other hand, her melancholic solo in Act II, when she found herself at home in rags reminiscing the night before, was exceptional and made up for what was lacking in Act II. In this solo, Ms Casabene's interpretation exuded passion and feeling and was also of high technical standard.
One scene to mention and which will be remembered as grandiose is Cinderella's departure to the ball in Act I where a "mouse-drawn" carriage took the stage by storm and dancers dressed as mice pulled Cinderella off to her dream world.
The props, backdrops setting and technical arrangement were perfect at all times, the only hitch being that the sound of the music was a bit too loud at the start of the show. On the whole the production team headed by Ms Casabene did a somewhat fantastic job, especially when one considers this is a new school only operating since 2007, although all the dancers are well experienced. I'd say it was definitely worth the ticket price; it's just a pity that these shows are mostly frequented by students' relatives and it would be nice to have a wider audience appreciate such talent.