New Cast Members Tackle ‘Cinderella’

Only a few moments after the Prince meets a glass-slippered party-crasher in Act 2 of Ben Stevenson’s ballet “Cinderella,” he must express his growing affection for the mysterious young woman by grabbing her upper thigh and heaving her over his shoulder, then fling her about as if testing her capacity for shock absorption. Even Don Giovanni never mauled his conquests so roughly, but in the Stevenson/American Ballet Theatre world, this kind of gymnastic assault passes for fairy-tale romance.

At the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Sunday afternoon, Keith Roberts and Martha Butler faced their balletic wrestling match expertly. He exuded so much noble ardor that you never doubted the purity of his feelings--no matter what his hands might be clutching. She exulted in being on public display to the extent that she didn’t even notice her partner taking liberties that no prince would ever be allowed on a first date. If the result occasionally managed to look like classical dancing--and made fitful contact with the music of Sergei Prokofiev--credit these artists’ remarkable stamina, determination and tact.

Working with previously reviewed colleagues in the final performance of the American Ballet Theatre engagement, Butler needed stronger coaching in the expressive depths and, particularly, transitions of the role but met its technical challenges impressively. Roberts may be far more memorable in contemporary repertory, but delivered reliable dancing skills placed at the service of a warm, credible characterization.

Newly cast as the seasonal fairies, Ekaterina Shelkanova (Summer), Tamara Barden (Autumn) and Sara Mau (Winter) all danced stylishly, but Yan Chen (Spring) brought a special lightness and effervescence to her performance. Charles Barker again conducted.