The curtains in A.A. Frederick’s Auditorium rise to reveal a simple set of nothing more than a fireplace, a small table with two chairs and a staircase. Over the next hour, the audience will be filled with raucous laughter and applause as they engage in a new twist on a story they have been told their entire lives.

“‘Cinderella’ has something for everyone. Our production includes many dancers and styles including pointe, ballet, tap, and modern,” Erin Fallis, senior theater major in Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts Department of Theater and Dance, said. “Our beautiful sets, costumes, lighting and sound pull this show together and create the true magic for our audiences.”

Fallis played the titular role on Thursday, Feb. 24., the opening night of the department’s original contemporary ballet production of “Cinderella.” Fallis shares the role with Hannah Knoff, who will play “Cinderella” in the matinee at 2 p.m. and final show at 7:30 p.m on Feb. 26.

Throughout the show, Fallis was the only dancer on stage that was en pointe, a strong choice made by the choreographers of the show. Even in the scenes where the stage was full, the audience could not take their eyes off of Fallis as she gracefully twirled across the stage on the tips of her toes.

The choice to incorporate different styles of dance into the production paid off as well. The tap number performed by the court entertainment, played by Jillian Duggan, Victoria Hickman, Robert McCandlish and Virginia Tudor, ended with a round of applause from the audience.

The department head of theater and dance, Brett Garfinkel, is one of the directors as well as one of the choreographers for “Cinderella.”

“The story of ‘Cinderella’ changes so much between the fairytale version to the classical ballet version to the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical version,” Garfinkel said. “They’re all a little bit different, and share their own unique perspectives, so we decided to create a ‘Cinderella’ that works best for our students and highlights their abilities.”

The most notable distinction between NSU’s production of “Cinderella” and other adaptions is the implementation of a group of dancers playing the clock that Cinderella is racing against throughout the story.

The clock, played by Cullen Barrilleaux, Haleigh Giorlando-Wall, Mary Strickland, Ashanta Wilson and D’Sherrick Williams, danced about the stage in monochromatic black-and-white costumes, jerking their arms around themselves to represent the arms of the clock displayed on the screen behind them.

Garfinkel chose a very strong cast for “Cinderella” as well. Every dancer on the stage was perfectly in character, which is especially impressive in a ballet where the actors convey their characters solely through dance.

In particular, Trevor Ray VanEaton stole the show as Cinderella’s stepmother, along with the stepsisters played by Sarah Talbot and Abigail Miller. Their performances were side-splittingly funny, from Talbot and Miller vying for the attention of the male ballroom dancers to no avail to VanEaton dancing around while flourishing a folding fan.

Roshane Brown, senior theater major and the stage manager for “Cinderella,” has found working on the production to be very fulfilling.

“I’m honored to be able to work with such talented performers and play a role in bringing the
choreographers’ and designers’ visions to life,” Brown said.

The NSU Department of Theater and Dance’s production of “Cinderella” was truly bewitching to watch. From the unique combination of dance styles to the incredible acting, the work done by the students involved was evident in every single aspect of the production. “Cinderella” was not your ordinary ballet.