A Clock, a Slipper, and a Fairytale Reimagined
Review of Cinderella at Pacific Northwest Ballet
Written by TeenTix Newsroom Writer JOSEPH HWANG
Edited by Teen Editorial Staff Member MARIELA VIDELA
Some stories feel like you’ve known them forever. “Cinderella” is a story that will always be associated with certain images: a clock that won’t stop ticking, a family whose cruelty has no bounds, a shoe that only fits one, and a humble wish for kindness to be enough. Often called a tale as old as time, the story is rooted in origins beyond glass slippers. One of its earliest known versions appears in the story of Ye Xian in ninth-century China, where a young girl’s lost golden shoe becomes her exit out of hardship. Across centuries and continents, many cultures have retold this story of hope. Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Cinderella, choreographed by Kent Stowell, adds a sparkle that grounds the story’s familiar magic in memory and motion at a human scale, reshaping the fairy tale as inner transformation.
Before the characters even appear on stage, the word “Cinderella” is spotlighted across the lowered curtain, acting as both an invitation and a subtle warning. The title glows with familiarity, and when the curtain rises, Act I places the real world and the dream world side by side: one in which Cinderella is pushed into servant work by her stepfamily, and another that draws us into her interior life. Act I’s palette leans into dusty blues and faded earth tones, grounding her world in something restrained and practical.
As Cinderella, Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan carries that duality with a softness that never slips into fragility. In the kitchen scenes, her movements are small and inward, arms folding close to her body as if conserving space. But as the stage shifts toward her interior world, her gestures lengthen, extending past the boundaries of the set as the choreography seems to give her room to breathe. Even in crowded scenes, a warm golden light finds her, guiding the audience back to her world.
Act I also introduces one of Stowell’s crucial revisions: the Godmother appears as a Memory Mother, danced by Melisa Guilliams. Draped in soft, muted fabric, she moves with a steadiness that feels like magic surfacing from within. A translucent curtain creates a dreamlike threshold and allows scenes to drift in and out of Cinderella’s recollections.
When Act II opens at the ball, the palette transforms into richly regal reds and golds. The shift makes the ballroom feel alive, as if the world has suddenly widened. The Prince, played by Luther DeMyer, is portrayed as an earnest character that works well in a version valuing tenderness over conquest. The ballroom choreography unfolds with clarity, and you can track desire and jealousy through every motion. The pas de deux between Cinderella and the Prince slows the energy of the ball, softening it into a suspended, weightless calm. Their lifts are grounded in trust, and as he steadies her, you can see how they find each other’s rhythm in real time.
The jester, played by Kuu Sakuragi, darts through the ballroom with quick footwork and elastic jumps, breaking up the royal formality with flashes of humor. Cinderella’s stepfamily provides a similar layer of comedy. Lily Wills, as the Stepmother, establishes her presence through severe makeup and cutting gestures, while Sofia Bidne and Rosalyn Hutsell lean fully into physical comedy: squabbles that spiral into exaggerated spins, awkward posing held just a second too long, and costumes that look both overdressed and oddly childish. Even when the attention is drawn to Cinderella and the Prince, their fighting continues in the background.
While the dancing sells us a story beat by beat, the design fully immerses us in Cinderella’s world. Tony Straiges’ sets pull from French art and architecture, seen in elegant arches and symmetrical framing that give the stage a storybook look. The oversized clock suspended above the stage looms over the audience, and when it strikes midnight, the sound and visual presence make time feel physical, as if it's pressing down on the dancers. Martin Pakledinaz’s costumes add another layer of clarity and storybook charm to the ballet. They tell their own story, especially in the contrast between Cinderella’s simple, faded dress early on and the court’s layered garments later.
Throughout the ballet, Sergei Prokofiev’s score glints between glitter and steel. Under the baton of conductor Josh Archibald-Seiffer, the orchestra balances buoyant comedic sections with sweeping romantic elements, allowing the choreography and audience to breathe.
Act III returns the story to a more intimate scale, and while the search for the slipper unfolds with light comedic rhythm, the focus remains on Cinderella’s calmness. When the slipper fits, there is no grand spectacle, making her transformation feel like a peaceful culmination of the patience and grace she embodies.
Cinderella is a welcoming choice for audiences new to story ballets. Stowell’s version shifts the central story from “Will she get to the ball?” to “What will she bring?” By emphasizing kindness as a prevailing force, the production is a clear demonstration of why this tale has endured through centuries of retelling. You leave with the same familiar magic tucked in your pocket, and a clear understanding that her transformation was complete long before the slipper confirmed it.
Lead photo: Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan as Cinderella, in Kent Stowell’s Cinderella. PNB brings back its production of the classic fairy tale for ten performances at Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall, January 30 – February 8, 2026. For tickets and info, contact the PNB Box Office, 206.441.2424 or PNB.org. Photo: Angela Sterling
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