Canton Ballet to Present CINDERELLA in Memory of Joan Shaheen

Canton Ballet will present a full-length performance of Cinderella on April 4 at 7:00 PM and April 5 at 2:00 PM at the historic Canton Palace Theatre. With ticket prices ranging from $30 to $45, this beloved fairy tale promises to transport audiences into a world of love and magic, all accompanied by Prokofiev’s soaring score.

This production will honor the memory of Joan Shaheen, who served as Canton Ballet’s Board President from 1983 to 1985. Mrs. Shaheen was instrumental in establishing the ballet’s endowment fund in the early 1980s and, along with her husband Masid, crafted the original props for the Cinderella production, which will be used during both performances. Her daughters, Susan, General Counsel for the Nordson Corporation, and Anne Shaheen, MD, a former principal ballerina with Ohio Ballet, played the role of Cinderella during the 1980s. Her daughter Stephanie was a Canton Ballet student.

North Canton Hoover High School senior Allison Pellegrino and Jackson High School freshman Kaitlyn Giltz are sharing the iconic role of Cinderella. Both dancers are current Canton Ballet company members and have trained at the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York City, the official school of New York City Ballet.

The performance will also feature Canton Ballet alumnus Thomas Kingsbury, now a corps de ballet member with the Carolina Ballet, as Cinderella’s Prince Charming. Former Ohio Ballet principal Damien Highfield returns to the stage to bring the iconic Ugly Stepsisters to life along with Canton Ballet alumnus, Bernard Richards.

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