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| Prokofiev - Cinderella / Sibley, Dowell, Royal Ballet | 
 enlarge | Director: John Vernon (ii)
Actors: Antoinette Sibley, Anthony Dowell, Frederick Ashton, Robert Helpmann, Leslie Edwards
Studio: Kultur Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $15.67
You Save: $14.32 (48%)
Buy New/Used from $15.67
Avg. Customer Rating:  (15 reviews)
Sales Rank: 19098
Format: Classical, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 102 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 4.9 x 0.6
MPN: 93
ISBN: 0769700934
UPC: 032031009394
EAN: 9780769700939
ASIN: B00005K9PM
Release Date: May 29, 2001
Theatrical Release Date: 1969
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
A rare chance to see Antoinette Sibley April 19, 2005
9 out of 12 found this review helpful
Of the Cinderellas I have seen, Frederick Ashton's version is perhaps the most traditional. He sticks fairly closely to the fairytale, set once upon a time in a land far away. His big idea is to have men-in-drag (in this video, himself and Robert Helpmann) play the stepsisters. The other two Cinderellas I have seen are unfortunatley not available commercially at the moment. One is choreographed by Vladimir Malakhov for the Berlin Ballet. It takes place in a ballet company, and Cinderella in this case is an aspiring ballerina. Malakhov plays one of the stepsisters, a bad ballerina-wannabe. The ballet ends with Cinderellas triumphant debut in a ballet. The other is Rudolf Nureyev, for the Paris Opera Ballet. Nureyev set his story in the 1920's, and Cinderella is an aspiring actress. Nureyev plays the fairy godmother, a movie producer. The ballet ends with a signed film contract for Cinderella.br /Despite being a hit with the audience since its premiere, Ashton's ballet has some weaknesses. I think the clowning of the stepsisters gets old. The seasons and Act 2 ball choreography are rather slow. br /Ashton's Cinderella has surprisingly little choreography for Cinderella herself. Nevertheless, the ballet has many nice touches. The sisters preparations for the ball in Act 1 (complete with primping, wigs, and emergency dance lessons) is one of them, as is Cinderella's lonely dance with her broom.br /This video is a nice document of Ashton's ballet. It's one of the only videos with Antoinette Sibley, who is simply a radiant ballerina with the loveliest smile imaginable. It takes a very special dancer to be able to carry the ballet -- Cinderella must be wistful, charming, but ever cloying. At the end of Act 1 Sibley leaves for the ball in her coach and she looks back at tha audience with a radiant smile. There is also a nice moment when Cinderella uses the broom as a dancing partner. But Sibley was unfortunately suffering from an injury when the film was made, and could not execute some of Cinderella's more famous steps, like walking down the stairs at the ball on pointe.br /The Prince is Anthony Dowell, Sibley's regular partner. The Ugly Sisters are Sir Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann. They're pretty funny, but I feel that the sisters' clowning gets old after awhile. I also think the orchestra plays Prokofiev's dainty, almost impressionistic score very poorly. The strings sound somewhat out of tune, the horns blare gracelessly, and the whole orchestra plays Cinderella with all the attention and energy they'd devote to elevator music.br /As a side note, an earlier 1955 video made with Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes is also now available on dvd. That version was made for tv, and has many many cuts. Strangely I prefer that video to this one, because some of the padding is gone.
 Cameraman in the Balcony June 8, 2004
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I would like to add to the negative reviews already posted the further comment that I have never yet seen a ballet so consistently photographed from a distance. Wide ensemble shots are often appropriate; but whatever acting and subtler gestural skills the dancers may have exhibited, not to mention costuming details, are almost entirely lost on the viewer. Closeups last for a few seconds at most, as if the filming director were afraid of letting makeup show. This was highly frustrating to me, as both Dowell and Sibley seemed to be in good form. Even in the solos and pas de deux segments the camera hangs awkwardly back as if the cameraman were unfamiliar with the piece and fearful of letting the principals unexpectedly dash off screen. Ballet is a pantomimic art, and a good visual recording should not relegate the viewer to the nosebleed seats.
 A Cinderella to Avoid June 4, 2003
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
This live performance from the venerable Covent Garden features wonderful dancing by the principals Sibley Dowell, a little less coldness and stiffness by the latter would have been very welcome. Sibley delivers; she is a spectacular Cinderella. So why avoid this performance? The answer is that Prokofiev's magical classical ballet is ruined by the excessively self-indulgent circus-clown contributions of the step-sisters (very big-time ballet guys in drag who should have known better). I doubt if Prokofiev would have recognized his ballet, the flow of the piece is stopped dead in its tracks on several occaisions by the step-sisters' circus-clowning,(sorry, but I thought they were more strange than funny), they try to steal the show but ruin it instead. To make time for thisbr nonsense the piece has been cut, a bad idea. For a version of Cinderella where ballet is the main focus, not slap-stick, try the Bolshoi production. A not-yet-famous Maximova appears in the four seasons scene. Dancing and musical performance are on a consistently high and very inspired level, and the humorous scenes flow along naturally in the context of the greater work. The Bolshoi gets 5 stars.
A beautiful document rather poorly recorded September 18, 2002
31 out of 33 found this review helpful
This is a typical product of the forties, conservative, elegant and with a reserved sense of humour. Ashton's choreography is very classical in the sense that it's more respectful to tradition than innovative. Antoinette Sibley is a gracious dancer with a limpid technique, but I found Anthony Dowell's dancing rather cold. Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann are absolutely hilarious as the jealous sisters. The second act ballroom scene - where Ashton dances with a rather diminutive partner - is a jewell of integrated dance and pantomime. pThe recording seems to be dated, though. The colors look faded and the sound has been poorly recorded. Also, the story has been shortened. After the ballroom scene the prince - in the original third act - travels to foreign ountries (Arabia and Spain)to find Cinderella. This act has been ommited, which is a pity for it gives an excellent opportunity for character dances.pThere are four other versions of the ballet. The one choreographed by Maguy marin for the Lyon Opera Ballet is a claustrophobic and anguished piece, recommended to those who are interested in psychoanalysis and the avant-garde. Nureyev's version for the Paris Opera Ballet has Sylvie Guillem as its main point of interest. Her partner Charles Jude has few chances to dance and Mr. Nureyev doesn't even have a dancing part. The action has been brought to the Hollywood of the twenties.brThe Bolshoi version is the closest to the original. Raissa Struchkova gives a rather naive interpretation but her dancing is vigorous yet refined. This version was filmed as a feature film, not in a theater. The sense of humour is rather heavy sometimes. Sound and color are passable. The last version on video I know is of the Sevchenko Ballet from the Ukraine. In my opinion it's the most interesting. Sound and image are finely recorded and the cast, although little known - whoever heard of Alexey Ratmansky? - dances beautifully. It's quite difficult to get, as it was recorded on laser disc.
Beautyful Ballet, Poor Recording February 8, 2002
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
The first time I wieved this video I was greatly dissapointed and I absolutly hated the music. I couldn't figure out why as it had never bothered me before when seeing the ballet live. I soon came to realize that what bothered me wasn't the ballet or the music but the recording! The sound balance is horrible and does no justice to Prokofiev's vibrant music or the Royal Opera House Orchestra. Some of the filming is rather poor too, at one point during the ball scene the conductors arm gets in the way of the camera ( if only for a second or two). brTudor's choreography is inventive and challenging to the dancers - the speed and surprising use of familiar vocabulary makes one think of Balanchine, though the style is very different. Anthony Dowell is elegance personified. His dancing is brilliantly smooth and efortless. Antoinette Sibly is gracefull and has a lovely expression but is perhaps at times hindered by the speed to reach her full jump. The four fairies are beautifully perfomed. I highly reccomend this video to any ballet enthusiast for the value of the ballet itself but close your ears partially while viewing it. I most certainly hope they remastered the music for the new DVD releas.
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