When remembering one’s childhood, the fairy tale of Cinderella pops up in the top five of stories most people would remember. On Saturday, The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine presented Cinderella at the State Theatre. Cinderella was on hand prior to the start of the ballet, with photo opportunities for young princesses dressed in costume and fans alike.

Children beamed with excitement and anticipation as the performance began. There were roughly 50 cast members in this production. Dancers gently flowed fluidly across the stage to the music of Sergel Prokofiev.  The choreography was done by Andrey Litvinov, the People’s Artist of Moldova and Honored Artist of Ukraine.

The role of Cinderella was played by Maria Lolenko, born in Pavlograd, Ukraine. It’s amazing to think that Lolenko has spent over half her life as a ballet dancer, and her performance was spectacular.

The antics of Cinderella’s two stepsisters kept the audience engaged and provided a good deal of humor throughout the show. And while the sound of young laughs could be heard, many adults chimed in often laughing louder than the kids.

For many, attending the ballet is a special event to treasure. And for some of the audience members cherish these memories throughout their lives.

So if you find you need a little more ballet in your life, help is on the way with the annual ballet production of The Nutcracker, appearing at State Theatre on Saturday, November 25th.

Discover more about upcoming events by visiting  http://statetheatre.org/