Cinderella

Rijeka Ballet – Cinderella
Wednesday, 18 March 2026 – 20:30

Cinderella is the brand-new creation by choreographer Leo Mujić for the Croatian National Theatre Ballet, the historic company of the city of Rijeka, founded in 1946 and rooted in both classical and contemporary traditions. Set to the famous music of Sergei Prokofiev, this beloved title has thrilled audiences around the world for decades, ever since its debut in 1945 at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre with the original choreography by Rostislav Zakharov.

The popular fairy tale, which along with others such as Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and Bluebeard was adapted from oral tradition at the end of the 17th century by the French writer Charles Perrault, has been a source of inspiration for a wide variety of choreographic interpretations over the past eighty years. All have told, through dance, the story in which goodness triumphs over evil through a journey of perseverance and transformation.

Although the narrative is rooted in popular tradition, this new Cinderella incorporates contemporary elements, offering a reinterpretation in which each character is seen through the lens of personal growth. A ballet that breathes new life into the fairy tale, combining the dynamism of the modern world with the language of contemporary dance.

Program and cast

Rijeka Ballet
(Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc)
CINDERELLA

Libretto: Nikolaj Volkov
Choreography: Leo Mujić
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Dramaturgy: Bálint Rauscher
Set Design: Stefano Katunar
Costumes: Manuela Paladin Šabanović
Lighting: Aleksandar Čavlek