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Cinderella is one of those stories meant for dancing. Its cornerstone is a fabulous ball and at its heart is love, the loss of a mother’s love and the finding of romance. It is not surprising that it has inspired many ballet versions. Prokofiev’s score is the music Londoners expect to hear when this ballet is performed. Corder used it for his version recently danced by the English National Ballet, as did Ashton and Nureyev.

But there is another, middle European version of Cinderella, danced to the music of Vienna’s musical hero, Johann Strauss II. Aschenbrödel is Strauss’ only ballet score, and was first performed, with choreography by E. Graeb, in Berlin in 1901. A hundred years later the Vienna State Opera Ballet has restaged it in a new version by Renato Zanella, an Italian who has choreographed for the Stuttgart Ballet, with whom he danced. If the performance I saw is anything to go by, he has the theatrical and movement instincts of Mathew Bourne, combined with the facility for interesting steps, which, while classically based, also have a twist of modernity.

While the basis of the story remains intact, (motherless girl at the bottom of the pecking order and denied her chance to go to the ball is magically given the opportunity and ends up capturing the heart of the prince), the style of this new version is pure Vienna with a touch of French flair. In this setting Strauss, who did not live to see the performance of his ballet for the Vienna Opera for which he composed it, is given the opportunity to do so by becoming Grete’s (the name of the Cinderella character), “fairy godfather”. It is he who engineers the first encounter between her and Gustav, the prince equivalent, who in this telling is a fashion designer at the “Four Seasons” Department store and nephew of Monsieur Arnaud, the store’s manager.

Setting the ballet in a fashion house does seem far removed from the usual version of poor Cinderella’s kitchen, but it all makes sense when you consider that Christian Lacroix designed the costumes. And what costumes they are! There must be at least 100 in the production each more extravagant, sexy and desirable than the last. These are tutus to die for, in vibrant, violent shades of pink, green and orange sprinkled liberally with feathers and various decorations, and the men don’t do so badly either.

The whole combination is a celebration of Vienna (the curtain backdrop is recognisably the streets of the old city) and the image the Viennese have of themselves – a musically, joyous, light-hearted society living in a confident and successful city that is a jewel on the shores of the Danube. Maybe this is a reality that ended with the collapse of the Austro- Hungarian empire, but then again Cinderella is only a fairy story, and there is no harm in indulging in a bit of magic now and then. It would be nice if our own national ballet companies on occasions remembered this.

The story opens with feverish preparations being made for the coming New Year Ball. Madame Leontine, the “wicked stepmother, like the mother in La Fil Mal Gardee, is played by a man, who on occasion even goes on point. Dressed in shimmering, figure skimming orange in Act I and then in a flouncing pink ball gown in Acts II and III, she towers over her love interest, Monsieur Arnaud. Her two daughters, Franchon and Yvette, are spoiled little minxes, who attract and terrify Gustav’s younger brothers, Franz and Josef, in equal measure. The finish of one of their pas de quatre has them sitting on the boy’s backs. At the end of Act I, Strauss appears as a poor organ grinder whose music ushers everyone but Grete off stage. He then reveals himself to her by throwing off his cloak (he is dressed from top to toe in gold lame), which initially sends her fleeing in terror. Reassured, and being more foxy than demure, she is rewarded with a wonderful designer outfit, and together they climb Strauss’s pink cloud conveyance.

Act II is set in the ballroom in Arnaud’s house. Here the ensemble are given the chance to show off their waltzing talents as they whirl around the stage in gowns slit to the thigh and stylish black tie evening outfits. Grete enters and performs an exotic Egyptian dance that intrigues Gustav. The highlight of the festivities is a performance by two ballet dancers supposedly from the Vienna State Opera accompanied by a six members of the corps, all of whose arm movements comically send up the pas de deux being performed by the principal dancers. Following this interlude Grete is named Queen of the Ball and presented with her prize, a fabulous pair of shoes. Before Gustav can, however, remove her mask, the New Year is rung in and Strauss whisks her away on his cloud.

Act III begins with a dream sequence as Grete relives her wonderful evening. It is in this Act that Zanella produces his most interesting dancing, including an excellent and passionate pas de deux for the two principals accompanied by the corps. The men in this scene appear bare-chested– this is a very sexy and flirtatious ballet. Angels in the form of little girls with wings and blond wigs flutter around the stage. The dream ends with the return of Madame Leontine and her daughters who are disappointed in how the Ball has gone. Gustav begins his search for the girl, and through Strauss’ magic identifies Grete. She is, however, reluctant, and in his attempt to overcome her resistance he invites her to appear as one of his mannequins. Eventually she is revealed by Strauss to be the strange beauty from the Ball. Madame Leontine consents to her marriage to Gustav and welcomes Franz and Josef as her future sons-in-law. She in turn, sees herself on the arm of their father. The ballet ends with the sounds of the Blue Danube as Strauss takes a photograph of the company.

What was notable in this performance is the excellence of the company not only as dancers, but also as actors. While the movement was important, and the tricks of the trade were accomplished with elan, the dancers have given careful thought to their characters and how to express with their bodies their distinctive personalities. Grete, portrayed by Simona Noja, is a blond sprite who made a very modern Cinderella. Her mother in Thomas Mayerhofer could easy join the Trocaderos if he ever wanted to leave the company. Gregor Tichy as Gustav was perfect as the prince hero – handsome, aloof and desirable. The two stepsisters, Alessandra Pasquali and Michela Centin, together with their suitors, Boris Nebyla and Rudolf Wachter, brought the necessary quota of laddishness needed to give this ballet comic spice.

While the main characters carried the performance, note also has to be taken of Zanella’s use of the minor characters such as the waiters in Act II who slow stepped among the guests carrying their silver trays high above their heads and later appear at the stroke of twelve with placards displaying “2002” in huge letters. No doubt Zanella and the members of his company know what it is like to attend such a ball, as did all the Viennese in the audience.

There was more of Zanella’s ingenuity in the Act III fashion show (watched by Madame and her daughters from a box in the audience – or rather they watched and commented on themselves and the audience throughout as one would expect). He used this device to introduce the usual group of national dances traditionally a part of many 19th century ballets. Most notable was the mazurka danced by a solo male carrying an oversized fur muff.

No doubt the ballet is the Cinderella of the Vienna State Opera as it is in so many other opera houses (during October I counted 28 opera dates but only two ballets performances, Aschenbrödel and Spartacus also choreographed by Zanella). Nevertheless, this performance was sold out. What was refreshing was to hear the ticket sellers explain to those wanting tickets that the only ones remaining had bad sight lines, which they did not recommend for a ballet performance. Another difference was the programme, which had the advantage of containing a synopsis of the story in four different languages, but had the disadvantage of no information about the dancers. Finally, don’t expect to find ice cream being sold in the interval. The Vienna Opera House compensates by offering champagne and chocolates instead!

The next performance of Aschenbrodel is at the Vienna State Opera on 11th October. For details see the Vienna Opera website http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at