0:00:36 > 0:00:39Hello and welcome to Birmingham Royal Ballet.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42This year the company celebrates its 20th anniversary,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44and to mark that event
0:00:44 > 0:00:48we've created a brand-new production of the magical tale of Cinderella.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51SINGING AND LAUGHING
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I'm David Bintley, the director of the company.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And as choreographer, I've been working with our dancers
0:01:00 > 0:01:04for over a year to bring this ballet to the stage.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Behind all of these doors, there's a lot of activity -
0:01:07 > 0:01:10dancers putting on make-up, costumes...
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Hello, how are you?
0:01:13 > 0:01:16- Everything all right? CHILDREN:- Yes, thank you.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18- Excited again?- Yes.- Good.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And remember the steps, remember to go the right way tonight.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24THEY GIGGLE Yes? Good. Good luck.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25Thank you!
0:01:25 > 0:01:29And in this room is The Wicked Stepmother.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31Hello?
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Come in!
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I would say more sinister than wicked.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I think that's the most chilling thing about it.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46She's a bit of a...Stone Flower.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54My character, The Fairy Godmother,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57is the spirit of Cinderella's mother.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04She comes back to make her wish come true of going to the ball.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07I come into the ballet, kind of, in disguise as a little old woman
0:02:07 > 0:02:09who then transforms into her fairy godmother.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Going to try and set up my make-up for my quick change,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17cos I come running back here, like...a mad woman,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21trying to get everything done in two seconds flat.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26It's a lot of chopping and changing - start in this, then into stars, out of stars,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29into ballroom, and then back into stars.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36It's good because once the curtain's up it's non-stop for us, backstage and onstage.
0:02:38 > 0:02:39Back in the 1980s,
0:02:39 > 0:02:45I danced the role of an ugly sister in Sir Frederick Ashton's celebrated version of Cinderella.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48The ugly sisters are often played by men,
0:02:48 > 0:02:49but in my production,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53I wanted Cinderella's situation to be that much more realistic,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56so the roles of the ugly sisters are danced by women.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Still ugly, still mean,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and still funny, I hope.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09SHE LAUGHS
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Our version of Cinderella starts with a prologue
0:03:11 > 0:03:15where you see a very young Cinderella who's just lost her mother.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19This means she ends up living with her stepmother and two very ugly sisters.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Fairy Godmother in disguise!
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- TANNOY:- 'Beginners, please stand by on stage.'
0:27:17 > 0:27:19APPLAUSE
0:30:03 > 0:30:06APPLAUSE
0:32:40 > 0:32:42APPLAUSE
0:33:38 > 0:33:41APPLAUSE
0:36:45 > 0:36:47APPLAUSE
0:36:54 > 0:36:57APPLAUSE
0:37:51 > 0:37:53APPLAUSE
0:41:27 > 0:41:29APPLAUSE
0:41:33 > 0:41:36Oh, my goodness, my feet.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Well, that's act one finished
0:41:38 > 0:41:41and Cinderella safely on her way to the ball.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44I have a few notes to give to the dancers,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46so I'm going backstage.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Most of the cast play several roles,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52so they're dashing back to their dressing rooms
0:41:52 > 0:41:54to change for the big ballroom scene
0:41:54 > 0:41:58where Cinderella and The Prince have their most romantic moment.
0:41:58 > 0:42:03'I want to talk to The Prince about improving one of the lifts he has to perform with Cinderella.'
0:42:03 > 0:42:05- Iain?- Hello!
0:42:08 > 0:42:10- Are you looking for me? - I am looking for you.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- In your room, strangely enough. - Sorry, I was...- All right?- Yeah.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16- Good.- I need to do my hair still... - Yeah, yeah.
0:42:16 > 0:42:21- I was going to dare to change a lift slightly for tonight.- Sure.
0:42:21 > 0:42:22Tiny, tiny change.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27- You know when you do the...? After she's done the long pirouette and puts her arm behind?- Yup.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29- And you do that lift off the ground?- Mm-hmm.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33- Do you think I could ask her to lift that bottom leg up.- Sure.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36- Would that be too much of a risk...? - No, it'll be all right.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39'That's the fun part, working with a choreographer who's there,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42you can always change it, you can change it at the last minute.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45It was a little bit... This time, I thought.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48It's great for the dancers, it keeps it exciting.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51He sees every show, and if he sees something he doesn't like, he can say,
0:42:51 > 0:42:53"No, try this, try that."
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Which is good, keeps us on our toes.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57KNOCKING
0:42:57 > 0:43:01- Are you dressed?- Yeah!- OK.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Great!
0:43:03 > 0:43:04Really good!
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Really good.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Much, much better, it's coming along now.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11I think that's the best solo you've done.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15Tonight it was quick. I had a few wig issues and about a nine-minute change.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17- Nine minutes?- Yeah, it wouldn't...
0:43:17 > 0:43:20- I've got a make-up change and a dress change...- Why so long?
0:43:20 > 0:43:24Um, I just made it tonight. I think... The wig came unstuck twice,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27I came running back, put some more glue on it.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32- And then Diana was standing there with the door open, telling me to run. But I made it.- Good. OK!
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Better get the rest of it now.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36- Cheers!- Thank you! - Thank you, see you later.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38- See you later.- Bye.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43When I was asked to choreograph this new Cinderella,
0:43:43 > 0:43:47I needed a young ballerina with the emotional depth and technique
0:43:47 > 0:43:50to transform from pitiful child to captivating princess.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52I chose Elisha Willis,
0:43:52 > 0:43:57who I've often worked with and who is an inspiring collaborator in the rehearsal studio.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00I really do love working with him.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04I think we have a good understanding of each other,
0:44:04 > 0:44:08and he's incredibly musical which is something I think is really important.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10So quite often we're on the same page
0:44:10 > 0:44:13with what we're trying to get out of a solo or the pas de deux.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24- You all right?- Yes, thank you. - Yes, you?- Not too bad. OK?
0:44:24 > 0:44:26- Yes, thank you.- Good.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29I'm ready. I think.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32I get a bit anxious when I'm due go on.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34The waiting's the worst.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37It's the hardest.
0:44:38 > 0:44:43As long as I remember the new lift David's added in act two, I'll be OK.
0:44:43 > 0:44:49- TANNOY:- 'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your act two beginner's call.'
0:44:49 > 0:44:53Cinderella's grand entrance at the ball in act two is a difficult one.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55She has to walk down the staircase en pointe.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59There's a staircase and they put dry ice over it.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Even if you look down, the tutu's sticking out,
0:45:02 > 0:45:04so it's really difficult to see the edge of the stairs.
0:45:04 > 0:45:09She has to stay beautiful and serene and literally can't afford to put a foot wrong.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14- Yes?- When you do the soutenu before you go to the girls,
0:45:14 > 0:45:17don't move so quickly. On Tuesday, you did the soutenu,
0:45:17 > 0:45:20- you went like that... And the other boys aren't moving.- OK.
0:45:26 > 0:45:27Quick as you can, please, girls.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Running out of time.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Use as much space as you can, there is more down front.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35I know you can't see it, I know it's dark, but...
0:45:35 > 0:45:37There is a little bit more, even more so?
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Yeah. Much as you get.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47In the second act of our fairytale, Cinderella arrives at the ball
0:45:47 > 0:45:49and meets the prince of her dreams.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18APPLAUSE
0:49:57 > 0:49:59APPLAUSE
0:51:18 > 0:51:20APPLAUSE
0:52:22 > 0:52:24APPLAUSE
0:53:35 > 0:53:37CRASH!
0:53:42 > 0:53:44APPLAUSE
0:53:52 > 0:53:55APPLAUSE
0:55:34 > 0:55:36FANFARE
0:56:04 > 0:56:06FANFARE
0:57:08 > 0:57:11APPLAUSE
0:58:18 > 0:58:21APPLAUSE
1:01:02 > 1:01:05APPLAUSE
1:09:25 > 1:09:29APPLAUSE
1:11:29 > 1:11:31APPLAUSE
1:12:45 > 1:12:47APPLAUSE
1:14:00 > 1:14:02LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
1:15:29 > 1:15:31APPLAUSE
1:20:27 > 1:20:30APPLAUSE
1:23:35 > 1:23:38TICK TOCK
1:24:30 > 1:24:32BELLS CHIME
1:25:45 > 1:25:47APPLAUSE
1:25:51 > 1:25:55'Act three will begin in five minutes. Thank you.'
1:25:55 > 1:25:57It's a rather big scene change, this.
1:25:57 > 1:26:00We start with a pile of shoes, here.
1:26:00 > 1:26:04Rejected candidates for the role of princess.
1:26:04 > 1:26:07Then, very quickly from that we go back into the kitchen.
1:26:07 > 1:26:10So, you can see they're wheeling on these big kitchen trucks here.
1:26:10 > 1:26:13It really is a lightning quick scene change, that one.
1:26:13 > 1:26:17Took us a week of rehearsals to get that one right.
1:26:17 > 1:26:20GIGGLING
1:26:22 > 1:26:25The design for Cinderella has to be sumptuous and exciting.
1:26:25 > 1:26:28And when I was wondering who would provide the look for me,
1:26:28 > 1:26:32I couldn't think of anybody better than the designer John MacFarlane.
1:26:32 > 1:26:34It has to be totally magical.
1:26:34 > 1:26:37Because, like all these great ballets,
1:26:37 > 1:26:41you have to honour the expectation of an audience.
1:26:41 > 1:26:47You have to give them the, kind of, fantasy world that they're sort of expecting.
1:26:47 > 1:26:53We have 16 of these girls come on and it's actually remarkably short.
1:26:53 > 1:26:55It's about 1 minute 59 they're on for.
1:26:55 > 1:26:57But, um...
1:26:57 > 1:26:59we make up for it in bling.
1:26:59 > 1:27:01It's a big bling moment.
1:27:03 > 1:27:07- When they're sitting up like this... - It's the heavier ones, yeah.
1:27:07 > 1:27:08The heavier ones,
1:27:08 > 1:27:11something about the lining is maybe pulling them off.
1:27:11 > 1:27:14It's quite exciting working on this production
1:27:14 > 1:27:18because it's completely brand-new. All the costumes are brand-new from scratch,
1:27:18 > 1:27:21and working for John from the very beginning with his designs,
1:27:21 > 1:27:25and then when you actually see it all fully made up,
1:27:25 > 1:27:28and the dancers are all so excited about it, so...
1:27:28 > 1:27:30The costumes are going to be fantastic.
1:27:30 > 1:27:33The costumes are loosely 18th-century
1:27:33 > 1:27:36which is certainly a favourite period of mine.
1:27:36 > 1:27:41And it's also, of course, a fantastic period for dance costumes.
1:27:41 > 1:27:43You know, you have very tight bodices on women
1:27:43 > 1:27:45and skirts that really do move.
1:27:45 > 1:27:48But you can have very opulent costumes for men,
1:27:48 > 1:27:51in the tail coats and the padding and all these things.
1:27:51 > 1:27:56Spent my whole life trying to be thin and...look at that.
1:27:56 > 1:27:58Nice.
1:28:01 > 1:28:04Do you see where my fingers are now?
1:28:04 > 1:28:06I think all of that, we could punch open.
1:28:06 > 1:28:08And we could even open these.
1:28:08 > 1:28:09Just because...
1:28:10 > 1:28:14- Doing up...- Yeah, well, you're looking... Can you see my hand?
1:28:14 > 1:28:17- I can't see your hand, no. - Right, well, you need to,
1:28:17 > 1:28:19because down about here, isn't she?
1:28:19 > 1:28:20I can see here.
1:28:20 > 1:28:21Well, that's fine.
1:28:21 > 1:28:25So, that's where I need to open it up, in about there.
1:28:28 > 1:28:30The wig is a grey 18th-century,
1:28:30 > 1:28:34- but it's got sort of a cast of green in it.- OK.
1:28:34 > 1:28:36And the make-up should be the same.
1:28:36 > 1:28:39But otherwise, human make-up, just slightly green.
1:28:39 > 1:28:44- We should know there's something slightly different about you from the rest...- Queasy looking.
1:28:44 > 1:28:46- And the tail.- And the tail! Minor detail.
1:28:46 > 1:28:48Sticking out the back of your trousers.
1:28:48 > 1:28:52The costumes are important to the story of Cinderella,
1:28:52 > 1:28:55but for the dancers,
1:28:55 > 1:28:58their shoes are even more critical for the performance.
1:28:58 > 1:29:00Each week, we get through over 130 pairs.
1:29:05 > 1:29:09This is where they come to get their pointe shoes, particularly the girls
1:29:09 > 1:29:13Each pigeon hole is each individual girl.
1:29:13 > 1:29:15They have their shoes made for them especially.
1:29:15 > 1:29:20Where we're doing bourrees, when we're pitter-pattering en pointe,
1:29:20 > 1:29:23that can often lead to the shoes getting soft,
1:29:23 > 1:29:25they can die a lot quicker.
1:29:25 > 1:29:28At the heart of the story are Cinderella's crystal slippers
1:29:28 > 1:29:32which have been a challenge for us to produce for the demands of the ballet.
1:29:32 > 1:29:36Cinderella has two crystal shoes
1:29:36 > 1:29:40and in the rehearsal studio, the crystal stones came off the shoe,
1:29:40 > 1:29:44and we're hot-stoning and putting crystals on a pair of pointe shoes.
1:29:44 > 1:29:48It's about six hours per pair to cover them in the crystals.
1:29:48 > 1:29:50It's lots of sparkle.
1:29:50 > 1:29:53And we have to make sure that they're fixed properly
1:29:53 > 1:29:56because if they fall off and they're on the stage,
1:29:56 > 1:29:57that could be hazardous.
1:29:57 > 1:30:01The boys wear lots of character shoes which have big tongues
1:30:01 > 1:30:04and leather shoes with Louis heels which are shaped.
1:30:04 > 1:30:08- The shoes are fine. - We would have been able to put an insole in, but...
1:30:08 > 1:30:11'Even though they're made for them, they've got'
1:30:11 > 1:30:14to quickly get used to them dancing on stage. They've been rehearsing
1:30:14 > 1:30:17in ballet flats which is just canvas shoes.
1:30:19 > 1:30:24- Hi, Iain. You all right? - Was it all right?
1:30:24 > 1:30:26- Yeah, yeah.- How you wanted? - Good solo.
1:30:26 > 1:30:29I thought the lift worked really well, you really pulled it out tonight.
1:30:29 > 1:30:32You really had to put some turns in there.
1:30:32 > 1:30:34No, it was good. And the solo was even better.
1:30:34 > 1:30:37Got your Bolshoi lift in, your one-arm lift in.
1:30:37 > 1:30:38Sorry.
1:30:38 > 1:30:42It's quite neat that, because she's not holding on, so it's...
1:30:42 > 1:30:45- No, it's good.- It literally is... - It's balance, I think.
1:30:45 > 1:30:47Yeah, yeah. Really good.
1:30:47 > 1:30:49The first time we tried that was terrifying.
1:30:49 > 1:30:52I really did think I was going to fall
1:30:52 > 1:30:53from that great height.
1:30:53 > 1:30:58But...with Iain, you know he's never ever going to drop you.
1:30:58 > 1:30:59Good luck for this one.
1:30:59 > 1:31:03- 'Ladies and gentlemen...'- Thanks, David.- There it is.- That's us.
1:31:03 > 1:31:04'Please stand by on stage.
1:31:04 > 1:31:07- 'Ladies and gentlemen of the orchestra...'- Nearly there.
1:31:07 > 1:31:09In the third act of our ballet,
1:31:09 > 1:31:14The Prince is desperately trying to find the mysterious princess
1:31:14 > 1:31:18who left her shoe behind when she fled the night before.
1:40:22 > 1:40:25APPLAUSE
1:52:24 > 1:52:27APPLAUSE
1:55:20 > 1:55:24RAPTUROUS APPLAUSE
1:55:34 > 1:55:38CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:56:16 > 1:56:19CHEERING
1:56:47 > 1:56:50CHEERING
1:57:02 > 1:57:04CHEERING
1:57:15 > 1:57:18CHEERING
1:57:27 > 1:57:30CHEERING
1:57:41 > 1:57:43CHEERING AND WHISTLING
1:57:53 > 1:57:55CHEERING
1:57:56 > 1:57:57Bravo!
1:58:00 > 1:58:03CHEERING
1:58:03 > 1:58:04Bravo!
1:58:15 > 1:58:16Bravo!
1:58:20 > 1:58:21Bravo!
1:58:26 > 1:58:27CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:58:27 > 1:58:29WOLF WHISTLE
1:58:44 > 1:58:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd