ENB Cinderella reviews ENB Cinders Performances Klimentova Reviews

Klimentova, like Tamara Rojo, was with Scottish Ballet (SB) and joined ENB when SB started having problems in mid 1997 and parted company with their Artistic Director (.. a new one has still not been found). Thank goodness Deane grabbed both of them and they did not go overseas. While Tamara Rojo had very early and public success (most deservedly) in Swan Lake, Nutcracker and particularly as Juliet, Klimentova has been much more in the background as a Principal.

Looking through the ENB reviews we have on line, her name comes up more than a few times, but rarely is she reviewed in lead roles. She does them, but that does not mean the critics are there to see. This needs to change: Klimentova really does seem to be a excellent and memorable classical dancer. I for one really want to see her in lots more things.

Perhaps we should not be surprised - she won a string of awards including the Prix de Lausanne. There is such a lovely quality of perfection in her dancing. Her movements seem perfectly weighted and she seems always to have the time to do it all, to do it right, and to also finish on time and in total sympathy with the music. There were some magnificent endings - on pointe and held for what seemed like an age. Nothing is discordant or jerky and the audience seemed to lap it all up and give her some great applause. I really look forward to seeing her in something more dramatic and also in one of the Petipa ballets.

Klimentova's partner was Robert Tewsley - from Stuttgart Ballet - guesting with ENB over Christmas. He also guested last year but injury problems meant that not so much was seen of him then. He is tall, blondish, smiles appropriately and looks a fine enough Prince. He is not perhaps so neat or immaculate as Daria but seeing him fall down the stairs on his first entrance was fun! (no harm would seem have been done).

The company overall seemed to be firing on all cylinders, even after such a long period of intense dancing. Overall Cinderella looked much tighter than when we saw it earlier in the season. Simone Clarke and Joanne Clarke played the short and tall stepsister very well - they each have good sense of comedy and would seem to have worked up a great double act together. In general I prefer the Stepsisters in this production to those in Ashton's, which I still don't think I have ever really seen brought to life.

Christopher Hampson was a glorious Dancing Master - a great solo (yes he can dance as well as choreograph - sorry Christopher!) and also all the fun we see in his writings pouring out in lovely asides while teaching the Stepsisters. The Fairy Godmother was Simona Ferrazza ( a Coryphee) and she rightly got great applause. I also liked Belinda Hernandez as the Autumn fairy - probably the most difficult of the variations and danced well (even the shoes held together this time!). Not sure if there were any last minute changes on the Prince's Companions front but Yat Sen Chang and Christian Duncan seemed to be dancing in different time zones and ballets at times. Or perhaps I was just too finicky at this point - ENB were looking good.

The production itself seems a little unmemorable choreographically and a bit too long as well. Personally I'm not so keen on the third act princesses and the 10 minutes or so could go. The David Walker designs are pretty handsome and with a good cast the night came to life for us. And great to at last 'discover' Daria.