Cover Principal dancers Kenya Nakamura and Chihiro Uchida (left to right), who will star in the Singapore Ballet’s ‘Cinderella’ this December
Principal dancers Kenya Nakamura and Chihiro Uchida (left to right), who will star in the Singapore Ballet’s ‘Cinderella’ this December
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Just before the curtain rises on the Singapore Ballet’s first new full-length classical ballet since 2014, we go behind the scenes to find out what makes the new production tick
With the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella sheds her skin as a humble servant dusted with cinder and transforms into a glamorous princess who becomes the star of the ball. Yes, she must flee from her prince at the stroke of midnight, but for a night, she is transcendent. As the Singapore Ballet prepares to raise the curtain on its brand‑new production of Cinderella, staged at the Esplanade Theatre from December 14 to 17, a similar transformation for the company awaits.
There exists many renowned versions of Cinderella, including productions by heavyweights such as Frederick Ashton, Ben Stevenson and Graham Lustig, who in fact staged a production of the ballet classic for the company back in 1996. But rather than revive the old version of Cinderella already in its repertoire, Janek Schergen, the artistic director of Singapore Ballet, chose to do a new production instead. “These dancers are significantly different from the dancers we had then. So we need to do something new that is made specifically to reflect how [our] dancers have grown and developed over the past 20‑plus years,” he says.
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Above Singapore Ballet’s
artistic director Janek
Schergen (pictured in
the foreground), who
did the choreography
for the new production
of Cinderella, looking
on at Uchida and
Nakamura as they
rehearse their roles
Singapore Ballet’s artistic director Janek Schergen (pictured in the foreground), who did the choreography for the new production of Cinderella, looking on at Uchida and Nakamura as they rehearse their roles
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Coming up with a new production of a classical ballet is a Herculean task and a labour of many. The last time Singapore Ballet staged such a production was nearly a decade ago, with Don Quixote in 2014. It is a balancing act of talent, logistics and astronomical expense. But for Schergen, who also choreographed the new production of Cinderella, the cost is worth it. “It’s not about selling tickets,” he says. “For the company to grow, we need to create an audience that feels that they had a great experience, and come back and see what’s next.” A part of that experience is live music by the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, which will play Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s sweeping score for each performance.
Littered throughout the production are Schergen’s own touches, such as the costumes designed by Leonard Augustine Choo for the corps de ballet, a group of dancers who perform in group numbers. “I have a particular hatred of everybody showing up in the exact same costume [in those group numbers],” says Schergen. The result sees costumes with similar cuts but different colours for a dash of personality. The set, designed by Eucien Chia, keeps in mind the narrative logic of the ballet; see if you can spot a clock that reappears in every scene in some way. “We’re talking about a fantasy, but it has to be logical in the fact that there has to be a thread throughout the whole thing,” Schergen asserts. “While that seems like it’s quite fun, it’s actually quite complicated.”
Above Principal dancer Chihiro Uchida, who will take on the leading role of Cinderella in the new production
Principal dancer Chihiro Uchida, who will take on the leading role of Cinderella in the new production
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There are many dancers in the company who have a personal relationship with Cinderella. Principal dancer Chihiro Uchida, for one, danced Lustig’s version in 2009. For others, including principal dancer Kenya Nakamura, who often partners Uchida in classical roles, this production marks their first encounter with Cinderella. Uchida and Nakamura will dance the lead roles of Cinderella and the Prince respectively as part of a rotating cast. (The duo are also life partners, having tied the knot in 2017.)
“It’s very exciting,” Uchida shares, adding that going into this new production will be like plunging into the unknown, without previous knowledge of the choreography to fall back on. “We have to be more focused.” But there are some benefits too, such as having the costume designer do fittings personally and tailoring the costumes to the dancers’ feedback. All of this helps to put the dancers in a state where the character comes to life.
As for Nakamura, who trained at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC, landing the role of the Prince in what he calls one of the most famous “prince and princess” stories is further proof of his ability to nail the prince archetype in classical ballet (he previously danced as the prince in the company’s stagings of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty—roles he landed just over a year after he joined in 2011). He lets on, though, that he “never thought I could act as a prince”, given that the profile of a prince was more often than not tall and white with long legs—an issue of representation that is being challenged today.
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Above Principal dancers Kenya Nakamura and Chihiro Uchida (left to right)
Principal dancers Kenya Nakamura and Chihiro Uchida (left to right)
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The pas de deux—a dance duet in which two dancers perform ballet steps together—is incredibly strenuous and difficult but looks entirely effortless, and after 11 years of dancing together, Uchida and Nakamura are intimately familiar with each other’s bodies and movements. A high degree of trust and chemistry gives them more time to spend on refining their performances—to act their roles convincingly, to find the emotional reason behind every step and, above all, to give an air of effortlessness.
You don’t need to ask if ballet is hard. Bruised feet, long schedules and short‑lived careers make it one of the most challenging and dangerous art forms out there. But for Uchida, the simple joy of dancing is enough. “It has kept me going until now,” she says. “Whenever I feel the connection with the audience, it’s such an overwhelming feeling of joy and accomplishment. It’s very rewarding and very addictive.”
“I started dancing at six,” Nakamura shares. “Now, I’m 36. Of course, I get exhausted. Sometimes, I get injured; sometimes, the technique is too difficult. But this is part of my life. I can’t let go. I just want to keep going on.”
Credits
Photography: Munster
Photography Assistant: Jovan Teo
Hair: Angel Gwee
Make-Up: Angel Gwee
Grooming: Angel Gwee
About
Ethan is a dining writer with Tatler Singapore. Trained in literary arts and filmmaking, their work has previously been published in Esquire Singapore, Men's Folio, and with the Asian Film Archive and the Singapore International and Film Festival, across a wide range of interests from gastronomy to fashion and arts criticism.
Work
Ethan writes about exciting news in the F&B industry, specialising in fine dining, exclusive spirits launches, and new restaurants. They are always looking for riveting voices to bring something fresh to an already-dynamic industry.
Follow them on Instagram at @faustiangourmand.
