Moscow Fesival Ballet's CINDERELLA to Cast a Spell at Spencer This Month

Excitement mounts with the stage presence of 50+ professional Russians swirling through Spencer halls and sharing their legendary dance technique in our splendid stage lights on Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. Check it out!

Moscow Festival Ballet's CINDERELLA casts the spell on Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. in a elegant display of athletic leaps, comic double-roles and theatrical gallantry under the artistic direction of Sergei Radchenko, formerly of the famed Bolshoi Ballet.

This internationally celebrated dance troupe displays a CINDERELLA sparkling with enchantment, faith and love, forever reminding us that dreams do come true. The lyrically charming ballet classic is based on the archetypal rags-to-riches fairy tale by the great French storyteller Charles Perrault (1628-1703), who also authored the tales of "Sleeping Beauty," and "Blue Beard."

The story tells of a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother and self-centered stepsisters, who dreams of a better life. With the help of a finer spirit, Cinderella is transformed into a Princess and finds her Prince.

The ballet's jubilant score is by the great Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) and it continues to be one of his most popular and melodious compositions, inspiring many choreographers since its inception.

The choreography is by Rostislav Zakharov (1907 - 1975), who was an active and influential figure of Russian ballet while the Soviet Union was in power. It was in 1945, while he was working with the Bolshoi Ballet, that he choreographed this masterpiece.

The world premiere of the full-length ballet was in 1945 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and it has since become a staple in the classical ballet repertoire, and is a proven favorite of the Moscow Festival Ballet.

Excellent seats are available for the one-night-only performance on Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for Moscow Ballet start at just $39; gift certificates are also available. Call the Spencer Box Office at 575.336.4800 or visit www.spencertheater.com. A pre-performance ginger cashew chicken buffet ($20) is also available in the Spencer lobby at 5 p.m.

The Spencer Theater is at 108 Spencer Road, Airport Highway 220, Alto, NM. Business hours are 9 a.m-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Spencer Theater is a world-class performance hall located in the Sacramento Mountain settlement of Alto, about 12 miles north of downtown Ruidoso. Unique architecture, outstanding acoustics, intimate seating, and excellent artistry are the Spencer's celebrated features. The elegant, award-winning hall, which first raised its curtains in 1997, seats 514, with no seats farther than 67 feet from the 4,770 square-foot stage. The Spencer also has a 964 square-foot outdoor stage that can seat 1,500. From its Spanish mica-flecked limestone face to the crystal lobby, the building itself is a work of art. Free public tours are offered at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year. Donations are accepted!