Cinderella | Pointe of View
Every Monday, I feature an image and backstory from my Pointe of View series.
On Friday, I had the privilege of attending opening night of the San Francisco Ballet’s Cinderella– a birthday gift from my friend Dan. It was a brand new production by Christopher Wheeldon, based on the Brothers Grimm version of the tale– a far darker version than the Disney story we’ve come to know. It was, in short, magical. From an opening scene so intricately layered in mesh and pinpointed lighting to the carriage scene complete with floating silks and a giant (hidden) fan machine that closed out the first act to the row of chairs that took flight to create an overhead arch framing Cinderella and her prince , nothing was held back in the production design.
Even with all of the theatrics, the dancing was a delight unto itself. Maria Kochetkova was beautiful as Cinderella, transitioning from tentative girl to belle of the ball. There was abundant humor in the stepmother and stepsisters, with Frances Chung as the standout character of the trio. It wasn’t a perfect show. Some of the scenes and character pieces seemed a bit excessive (especially the inexplicable foreign princesses who were strange caricatures that did not fit the scene in any way). But if anyone ever doubted the magic of a story ballet, this would be the show that puts all doubts to rest. For me, the pull still comes back to the story of Cinderella. Cut through the fanfare, and a delicate emotional thread is still in there somewhere. A young girl loses her mother, is kicked down by those around her, and with kindness and generosity, rises above it all. That is the fantasy we love to hope for.
Ballet dancer: Caroline Dennis
Hair: Justina Downs
Makeup: Julianne Chai, Pretty By Julianne
Assistant: Cassandra Manansala
Location: Berkeley City Club, Berkeley CA
is a ballerina series by Anna Wu Photography. The raised over $12,000 in a month. If you didn’t get to order your copy of the book yet, sign up here to be notified when more copies are available for purchase.
Part 1: Sea of Lights | Pointe of View
Part 2: Irish Castle | Pointe of View
Part 3: Gothic Reading Room | Pointe of View
Part 4: A Natural Glow | Pointe of View
Part 5: Quietly Uplifting | Pointe of View
Part 6: Fairytale Dream | Pointe of View
Part 7: Over the Queen City | Pointe of View
Part 8: Sweet Repose | Pointe of View
Part 9: Shadow Play | Pointe of View
Part 10: Frame Wall | Pointe of View
Part 11: Dancing in Downtown Chicago | Pointe of View
Part 12: The Nutcracker | Pointe of View
Part 13: Sunshine through the Leaves | Pointe of View
Part 14: Magnolia Tree | Pointe of View
Part 15: Kickstarter Launch | Pointe of View, THE BOOK!
Part 16: Fully Funded! | Pointe of View
Part 17: Kurumazaki-jinja | Kyoto, Japan | Pointe of View
Part 18: Roots | Taipei, Taiwan | Pointe of View
Part 19: One Week to Go | Pointe of View
Part 20: Five Lessons Learned from Kickstarter, $12,213 Later | Pointe of View
Part 21: The Next Step | Pointe of View
Part 22: Books and Ballerinas | Pointe of View
Part 23: Ballerinas in Trees | Pointe of View
Part 24: Behind the Scenes | Pointe of View
Part 25: Small Prints, Big Thanks | Pointe of View
Part 26: Hair & Makeup | Pointe of View
Part 27: Ballerinas on Pinterest | Pointe of View
Part 28: Cherry Blossom Cascade | Pointe of View
Part 29: Magnolia Gaze | Pointe of View
Part 30: Tidal Basin at Dawn | Pointe of View
Part 31: Cinderella | Pointe of View
Part 32: Ballerinas in Taipei | Pointe of View
Part 33: Chicago Streets | Pointe of View
Part 34: Vegas Deserts | Pointe of View
Part 35: Petals | Pointe of View
Part 36: Candela Fine Art Printing | Pointe of View
Part 37: Magnolia | Pointe of View
Part 38: Splits | Pointe of View
Part 39: Limited Edition Fine Art Canvas Wrap | Pointe of View
Part 40: My Portraits by Hannah Suh Photography
Part 41: Proof Copy by Edition One | Pointe of View
Part 42: Preorder the Pointe of View Book | Pointe of View
Part 43: Pointe of View Book Coming Soon! | Pointe of View
Part 44: Save the Date | Pointe of View Launch Party
Part 45: Books Books Books! | Pointe of View
Part 46: DIY Modular Cake Stand Tutorial | Party Planning
Part 47: Book Shipping and Party Planning | Pointe of View
Part 48: Pointe of View Party, San Francisco!
Part 49: DIY Tulle Pom Poms | Party Planning
Part 50: DIY Fabric Ribbon Backdrop | Party Planning
Part 51: Pointe of View Party, New York City
Part 52: Pointe of View Finale, New York City
Part 53: 2014 Ballerina Calendar | Pointe of View