Russian ballet group to perform 'Cinderella' on Bedell stage

The classic story of "Cinderella" will come alive when the Moscow Festival Ballet takes the stage to perform the fairytale April 22.

The performance, which is part of this year's touring series at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Bedell Performance Hall.

"Cinderella" is the story of a girl who is mistreated by her stepfamily, is given the chance to attend a ball, loses her glass slipper and wins the heart of a prince.

This blend of storytelling, humor, scenery and costumes works together to illustrate the tale many have come to know and enjoy.

Bob Cerchio, assistant director of the Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts, said the performance will be a great opportunity to experience something different in Cape Girardeau.

"Normally you would have to drive for hours to a big city to experience something like this, but through this performance, you are able to have this experience right here in Cape, and it's refreshing," Cerchio said.

Cerchio said the performance will be easy to understand and will create a different view of a typical classical ballet.

"It's a very friendly atmosphere, and people think that classical ballet is very formal and difficult to understand, but everybody knows the story of 'Cinderella,' so it's basically a story that is told through dance and music rather than through words like we are accustomed to," he said.

The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 when legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, Sergei Radchenko, sought to realize his vision of a company that would bring together the highest classical elements within the framework of Russian classic ballet.

Southeast senior Michael Valadez said he is excited about the performance and interested in how the company will bring the story to life.

"As a PR major, I am definitely excited to see the show, because I think it will be interesting to see how they are able to tell such a popular story through dance, especially Russian ballet, without losing the essence of the fairytale that we have grown to love, so I am excited to see how it all comes together," Valadez said.

Southeast sophomore Candice Agens is looking forward to the show because of its diverse nature.

"I have never experienced Russian classical ballet, so I see this as an intercultural experience that I would get the opportunity to have because of the university's interest in providing different kinds of entertainment for the Southeast community," Agens said.

The Moscow Festival Ballet is no stranger to the River Campus; it performed "Sleeping Beauty" in 2010 and "Don Quixote" in 2012. The company has toured in the United States and has had receptions in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands.

The company specializes in 20th-century full-length ballets such as "Cinderella," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Legend of Love."

General-admission tickets are $34 or $40, depending on seating, and $17 or $20 with a valid Southeast ID. Tickets may be purchased at the River Campus box office, online at RiverCampus- Events.com or by calling (573) 651-2265.

Pertinent address

518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.