Was Cinderella Originally a Ballet?

Ballet

Cinderella has long been a beloved character in literature, film and most notably in the ballet. The story of Cinderella has been around since the first century BC and is one of the most well known stories in history.

Interestingly, while many people associate Cinderella with the ballet, it was not originally intended to be a ballet.

The original version of the Cinderella story was written by Greek historian Strabo in around 8BC and was then adapted by French author Charles Perrault in 1697. This version of Cinderella is known as “Cendrillon” and features a number of elements which are now iconic to the story such as a fairy godmother, glass slippers and a pumpkin coach. This version of the story spread across Europe throughout the 18th century and was eventually adopted by choreographer Marie Taglioni for her ballet adaptation in 1816.

Taglioni’s version, titled “La Cendrillon ou La petite pantoufle de verre”, made some significant changes to the original story by adding characters such as additional stepsisters and introducing music composed by Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer. Taglioni herself choreographed all her own dances for the production which helped to make it an instant success with audiences.

Since then, countless versions of Cinderella have been produced all over the world with many different interpretations being given to this classic fairytale. While it may not have been originally intended to be a ballet, it is certainly one version that has become extremely popular over time.

Conclusion:

Was Cinderella originally a ballet? No, it wasn’t; however, Marie Taglioni’s adaptation of “La Cendrillon ou La petite pantoufle de verre” in 1816 proved so successful with audiences that it has become an iconic ballet that is loved by people all over the world today.