Annual Student Recital: Cinderella’s New Dress

Each year, Movement Arts Atlanta’s students perform for the public in MAA’s Annual Student Recital. This year’s story ballet is Cinderella’s New Dress. This ballet, which is the first half of the performance, tells a small part of the classic fairytale. The first act will be followed by a shorter act comprising of two modern dance works.

The performance will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 3:00 pm in the auditorium of Mary Lin Elementary School, 586 Candler Park Drive NE, Atlanta Georgia 30307. The event is free and open to the public.

The Annual Student Recital includes MAA’s students from ages three through adult. Each year, Director Carolyn Stine McLaughlin, creates or restages an original story ballet. All ages and levels of students work together to tell the story. This is quite different from the more traditional dance recital format where each class does a separate dance.

Cinderella’s New Dress is set to the music of Frederico Mompou (1883-1987), this Catalan composer is know for his body of work for the piano. The ballet finds Cinderella just having received an invitation to the ball. She realizes that her clothes are rags and this will not due for the ball. Her friends, the Mice, the Forest Friends and the Birds all come to see Cinderella and they learn of her trouble. The Birds come up with the idea to find the Fairies. The Fairies confidently let Cinderella know that they can help. They dance together and then the Fairies work their magic and Cinderella’s dress is transformed and she is bedecked in jewels. Cinderella is grateful for the Fairies help and all of the group dance to celebrate.

The second half of the performance includes modern dances performed by MAA’s Modern I and Modern II students. Both works are set to the music of Oliver Davis (1972- ) a British composer whose credits include music for movies (Thomas & Friends), TV, the concert hall and commissions for the Royal Ballet. The students of Modern I will perform Playmates a duet depicting time spent with a friend at the play ground. The ladies of Modern II will perform Sky & Earth. This work was first set on a group of five in 2024. This now trio has been refined but still evokes the blue open sky of the prairie and the grounding of the earth.

The recital will last for about 45 minutes and will be followed be a cake and lemonade reception.