Photo Flash: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo Bring CINDERELLA to NY City Center This Weekend

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will celebrate its 30th anniversary with Jean-Christophe Maillot's CINDERELLA, running for four performances, this weekend, Feb 18 - 20, 2016 at New York City Center. CINDERELLA will be presented by Les Ballets De Monte-Carlo under the Presidency of H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover, in association with New York City Center and Ardani Artists. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the dancers onstage!

CINDERELLA (1999), choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot, strips the classic fairy tale of its sugar and explores the untold story of CINDERELLA's mother, a vision of lost happiness, who returns from the dead in the form of a fairy godmother. It is a poignant meditation on love and loss, in which the departed shape the future of those left behind. It is also a funny, incisive take on a society crammed full of artifice. CINDERELLA features music by Sergueï Prokofiev, stage design by Ernest Pignon-Ernest, costume design by Jérôme Kaplan, and lighting by Dominique Drillot.

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo Company, celebrating its 30th Anniversary this season, was established in 1985 through an initiative spearheaded by H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover under the direction of Ghislaine Thesmar and Pierre Lacotte, followed by Jean-Yves Esquerre. Jean-Christophe Maillot joined the company as artistic consultant in 1992, and was promoted to the rank of Choreographer-Director in 1993. Today, the Company consists of 50 dancers, and its repertoire includes works from the Ballets Russes and contemporary pieces from Jean-Christophe Maillot as well as acclaimed and emerging guest choreographers. The company has toured to France, the United States, China and the U.K., and will be touring to Cuba, Switzerland and Germany during its anniversary season. Dance in Monaco underwent a major and historical change in 2011, when H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover combined Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo company, the Monaco Dance Forum and the Princess Grace Academy into a single organization. Jean-Christophe Maillot was appointed head of this company, which now unites the excellence of an international company, the benefits of a multi-format festival and the potential of a high-level school. Visit www.balletsdemontecarlo.com/?lg=en for more.

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will present four performances at New York City Center according to the following schedule: Thursday, February 18 at 8 pm; Friday, February 19 at 8 pm, Saturday, February 20 at 2 and 8 pm. Tickets start at $50 and can be purchased online at www.NYCityCenter.org, by calling CityTix at (212) 581-1212, or at the City Center Box Office at 131 W. 55th St. (between 6th & 7th Aves).