From TOLEDO BALLET
For the first time since 2013, Toledo Ballet with the Toledo Symphony will stage a story ballet for its annual spring production. Toledo Ballet’s production of Cinderella, with music by Sergei Prokofiev performed live by the Toledo Symphony Orchestra will take place on Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 29 at 2 p.m. at the Valentine Theatre. Click for tickets.
An additional school performance will take place on Friday, April 28 at 11a.m. For information about attending the school performance, please contact Mickey Emch at memch@artstoledo.com. These performances are part of the Andersons Inc. Charitable Family Foundation Series with additional support from Directions Credit Union.
Toledo Ballet Artistic Director Eric Otto will provide fresh choreography to this timeless classic tale of virtue rewarded and happiness ever after. With a wicked stepmother (Condessa Croninger) and two jealous stepsisters (performed by Eric Otto and Toledo Ballet faculty member Steven Brown), Cinderella (TB Alumna Sabrina Bourell) stands no chance of attending the royal ball. When her fairy godmother (Sophia Black) transforms her reality into a dream come true, Cinderella enchants the handsome Prince Charming (Gustavo Ramirez) at the ball but must face the wrath of her enraged stepmother and stepsisters when the spell wears off at Midnight.
Sergei Prokofiev composed Cinderella between 1940 and 1944. It made its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in November, 1945 with choreography by Rostislav Zakhavor and Galina Ulanova in the title role. Toledo Ballet Alumna Sabrina Bourell will star as Cinderella in Toledo Ballet’s production.
Sabrina Marie Bourell is in her second year with Washington Ballet’s Professional Training Division under Xiomara Reyes and Rinat Imaev. A New York City native, she began her dance training at The Ailey School (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater). Late when her family moved to Toledo, she spent four years dancing at the Toledo Ballet.
Gustavo Ramirez who made his Toledo Ballet debut as the Nutcracker Prince in the 82nd annual production of “The Nutcracker” in 2022. Ramirez joined Ballet Fantastique (Eugene, Oregon) in 2016 as a Leading Artist and was promoted to Principal in 2018. Prior to that he was a soloist with the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet in New York. Gustavo originally began his training in Cali, Colombia at the Colombian Institute for Classical Ballet (Incolballet).
Taking the podium as guest conductor of the Toledo Symphony is renowned ballet conductor, Jonathan McPhee. Jonathan McPhee is equally at home as a conductor for the symphony, ballet, and opera. He is currently Music Director for the Lexington Symphony and maintains an active guest conducting schedule. He served as Music Director for Boston Ballet for 28 years conducting every major ballet in the repertoire.
