Cinderella Games, a ground-breaking film project inspired by Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, will receive its online premiere at 7 pm on Tuesday 14 July on English National Ballet’s Facebook and YouTube
Cinderella Games is the third dance film English National Ballet has produced that is directed and choreographed by Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple – known collectively as Jess and Morgs.
Immediately after the short film premieres, a special online Q&A will be shared in which Jess and Morgs discuss their creative process, the making of Cinderella Games, and sources of artistic inspiration.
This original dance film takes inspiration from Christopher Wheeldon’s production of Cinderella yet imagines the fairy-tale with an alternate ending: after the ball, the real Cinderella was never found, and instead of a sinister game show now exists in which contestants compete for its title. Shot in the spectacular locations of the Royal Albert Hall and Kempton Steam Museum, Cinderella Games is full of intricate choreography, quirky theatrical performances and dark humour.
To bring it to life, English National Ballet’s Engagement Department recruited 35 inter-generational participants from a range of dance backgrounds to work alongside professional performers Chihiro Kawasaki and Matthew Hawkins, giving them the opportunity to experience life on a professional film set, and to be involved in a ground-breaking dance for the camera project.
Cinderella Games was screened during English National Ballet’s Autumn/Winter 2019 tour as a curtain-raiser for select performances of Cinderella. Throughout 2020, the film is being screened at film festivals worldwide.