Going to the ballet for the first time? Start with Cinderella

You are in the mood for an evening at the theatre, but ballet is new to you. Can you follow a story if nobody speaks? Do you need to know the music? And what should you actually watch? Junior Ballet Antwerp’s Cinderella is a lovely chance to find out. The familiar fairy tale gives you a guide, while the dancing and Sergei Prokofiev’s music carry you along.

A story you already know a little

A girl who is treated unfairly. A wish to go to the ball. An encounter that changes everything, and a clock that keeps ticking. Even if it has been years since you read or watched Cinderella, you will probably recognise the outline.

That helps at a first ballet. You do not have to spend the whole time working out what is happening; you can focus on how it is told. How does someone move when they feel small? What changes when that same person suddenly becomes the centre of attention? A familiar fairy tale takes on new meaning when you see it expressed through bodies and movement.

How do you follow a story without words?

Even outside the theatre, you understand plenty without anyone speaking. You see hesitation in an outstretched hand, pride in a posture or delight in a glance. Dancers build on that recognition. They tell the story with their whole bodies and through the way they respond to one another.

Notice, for example, the distance between two characters. Do they move towards each other, or does one pull away? Do they look at one another or turn aside? Small moments like these help you understand their relationship. You do not need to know the name of a single ballet step.

And you do not have to explain every gesture. Sometimes it is enough to find a movement beautiful, funny or moving. Let your eyes follow whatever draws you in.

The music almost watches alongside you

In Cinderella you will hear music by Sergei Prokofiev. Listen for what happens when the mood shifts. Does the music grow softer or more insistent? Does a moment sound light and playful, or can you feel tension building?

Just as film music can make you feel for a character before they say a word, ballet music helps you sense a scene. Dance and music come together: a movement may flow with a musical phrase, but a sudden stillness may draw your attention too.

You can listen to the music beforehand, of course, but it is not homework. You can discover it for the first time from your theatre seat just as well.

Take in the whole stage too

In ballet, a leap or turn often catches your eye immediately. Every so often, try taking in the entire stage. Watch how a group moves, how the space between dancers changes and how costumes and lighting help set the mood.

Junior Ballet Antwerp presents Cinderella with choreography by Alain Honorez and Altea Nuñez. Costumes and video projections also shape the fairy tale in this production. Beyond the dancing, there is always something to discover in the stage picture.

Make it your first ballet evening together

Go with someone just as curious as you are, or bring someone who already loves ballet. Comparing what stayed with you afterwards is part of the fun. Perhaps you will remember a glance between two dancers most vividly, while your companion is still thinking about the music.

So there is no need to wait until you know more about ballet. A familiar fairy tale, Prokofiev’s music and the dancers of Junior Ballet Antwerp give you a starting point. The rest awaits you in the auditorium.

Photography: © Nicha Rodboon — Cinderella, Junior Ballet Antwerp.