My First Ballet - Cinderella @ New Theatre Oxford

Meet the nature-loving Cinderella, or ‘Ella’ who lives on the edge of an enchanted forest where she once gardened and sang with her mother. After loss and silence settle over her home, she’s left with a sharp-tongued stepmother, two noisy stepsisters, and a house full of chores and shadows. But when a letter arrives inviting all to a Garden Ball, Ella’s journey to find her true self begins – guided by the spirit of her mother and the magic of the forest.

A narrator helps curious, young minds follow each twist of the tale. And a shorter running time of 1 hour 30 minutes, which includes an interval long enough to find food and stretch restless legs, means the curtain comes down while everyone's still watching.

This charming production by English National Ballet is choreographed by George Williamson, and stars students from English National Ballet School’s Graduate Artists Programme. They perform to a shortened, recorded version of the ballet’s ravishing score.