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^ Cinderella Comes to the Centennial Theatre Peggy Stortz One of the most beautiful ways to tell a story is through the magic of dance. Ballet Jorgen's founder and artistic director Bengt Jorgen tells the story of Cinderella in a way that is somewhat different than most of us remember. After Cinderella, her stepmother and stepsisters learn about the ball, an old woman appears at their home. When her stepmother tries to hit the woman with a broom, Cinderella steps in to defend her. The reward for her courage is a seed. The old woman, who is, of course, Cinderella's fairy godmother, tells her to make a wish as she plants it. The seed sprouts and Cinderella's environment is transformed into a forest. Fairies appear and provide everything she needs to go to the ball. They tell her that she must not kiss anyone or be kissed. Therefore it is not the stroke of midnight but a kiss from the prince that breaks the magic spell. But she does leave behind the glass slipper. Jorgen's choreography is stunning. The brilliance of his rendition of the fairy tale is well-supported by Glenn Davidson's fantastical set design based on the concept of nature reclaiming man-made structures and by Robert Doyle's clever costumes which playfully echo each character's personality. Born in Stockholm, Bengt Jorgen graduated from the Royal Swedish Ballet School before coming to Canada to further his studies. He danced with the National Ballet of Canada, where he began his choreographic career, from 1982 to 1985. T w o years later he founded Ballet Jorgen Canada and eventually went into partnership with Toronto's George Brown College. Jorgen has created more than 30 ballets for various companies including the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the American Ballet Studio Company and H o n g Kong Ballet. Ballet Jorgen Canada is the fifth largest ballet company in Canada. It provides opportunities for Canadian choreographers and original new works in classical ballet. It is recognized internationally for its artistic excellence, entrepreneurial innovation, and a commitment to choreographic originality. The company is regarded as the most prolific in the country. This season, in less than 45 weeks, they are doing 131 performances for more than 100,000 patrons in 74 communities. The 15 full-time members of the company range in age from 18-30. They learn all the different ballets the company performs including The Nutcracker, Coppelta and The Velveteen Rabbit. A l l these stories appeal to children since Ballet Jorgen Canada takes an active part in exposing the younger generation to the art form of dance. If children understand and appreciate ballet, they are likely to support it in the future. Four weeks a year are devoted to outreach programs in the public school system throughout Metropolitan Toronto. < a " i w Brown College, in partnership with Balletjorgen Canada, offers certificate and diploma programs ballet, pointe, jazz, modem dance, acting and vocals. There are also a number of performance w i ii kshops available for dancers as young as 10 year old. Cinderella (Tara Butler) at the ball. Foreground dancers: Angel Wong and Arls Karemanls - photo by David Hou www.arts-alive.ca May | June 7