With an all-new, 21st-century account
of a beloved fairy tale set to the Prokofiev score,
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo presents the
American premiere of "Cinderella."

1,001a111:44-

SUZANNE CHESSLER

Special to the Jewish News

bile a new version of the
ballet Cinderella intro-
duces the 2000-2001
dance season at the
Detroit Opera House, the costumes of
Jerome Kaplan introduce the familiar
characters, whose story is choreo-
graphed with some new twists.
Kaplan, a Parisian designer, worked
closely with director-choreographer
Jean-Christophe Maillot as he pre-
pared the troupe from Les Ballets de
Monte-Carlo for their appearances in

Detroit Nov. 2-5. With the Prokofiev
score as the starting point, the troupe
offers fresh role interpretations and
now is focused on Cinderella's foot
instead of the traditional glass slipper.
As such, it is shown throughout the
ballet under a special light —
sequined when the fairy transforms
Cinderella to go the ball, naked and
isolated by the light when Cinderella
arrives at the ball. It is from the shape
of her foot that the Prince will recog-
nize her.
"Clothing and all that is related to it
— dresses, wigs, magic powder —
[have], in Cinderella, strong symbolic
value," explains Kaplan, 36, an inter-
national costumer who also works in
theater and opera.
"All of it is the place of transforma-
tion of bodies and the transmission of
a power, and it all enables us to see the
[nature] of each character. This is why
I worked a lot with transparent fabrics
and brilliant effects."
Cinderella, who moves from the
humble to the grand, has costumes of
many fabrics. The Prince, to evoke his
station, wears gold. The fairy/mother,
most difficult to dress because of the
character's supernatural existence, is
presented in a very small, light blue
outfit with little sparkles.
"I tried to give a special attractive-
ness to this fictitious court and convey
its sophistication, excesses and tragic
meaning," explains Kaplan, who works
out of a studio in his home. "I toyed
with refinement and the bizarre, mix-
ing references to the 18th and 19th
centuries with very modern details."
Kaplan, whose Jewish heritage
reaches to a paternal grandfather who
escaped Russia in 1920, was born and
grew up in Paris, where he always
enjoyed sketching. He studied costum-
ing and set design at a theater arts
academy, Ecole de La Rue Blanche,
and soon found work.
Among the productions that have
showcased Kaplan's artistry are

Costume Designer Jerome Kaplan:
"Clothing and all that is related
to it — dresses, wigs, magic powde.;-
— [have], in Cinderella, strong
symbolic value."

10/27
2000

98

Rossini's Barber of Seville, Vivaldi's
Montezuma and Britten's L'Arche de
Noe. During his 10-year association
with Maillot, he has worked on Romeo
et Juliette, Casse-Noisette Circus and
Ubuhuha.
"I start out working alone doing
sketches and then I consult with
Maillot," Kaplan says. "The choreog-
raphy is always in evolution, and my
work moves with the choreography.
I'm always looking for the dynamic
force, and when you see my drawings,
you have the impression that the char-
acters are dancing.
"The costumes must help the
dancers and so I use light fabrics and
elastic. It's very important to be careful
with the body, with the legs and the
arms. [In many ways], it's very easy to
do costumes for dancers because they
have beautiful bodies."
Living in the fashion center of the
world with his wife, Ann, and three
children, Kaplan never has been
tempted to design clothing for the
public. He likes the intellect and the
challenges he can apply to the stage.
"Difficult situations stimulate my
work, and it's interesting for me to
continue to work with different parts
of show business," says Kaplan, whose
next project takes him to China to
design costumes for the Ballet
National de Chine. "I would like to
continue to discover new things —
new people, new music, new coun-
tries. I like the future."

❑

Cinderella will be performed 8
p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 2-4,
and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, at the
Detroit Opera House. $17-$75.
(313) 237-7464.
Other programs in the Detroit
Opera House Dance Series 2000-
2001 include: Ballet
Internationale performing The
Nutcracker, Dec. 7-10 and 14-17;
Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater, Feb. 1-4; American
Ballet Theater performing The
Merry Widow, March 29-April 1;
and the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago,
June 23-24. Subscription packages
run $45-$200. Call (313) 237-
7464; for group discounts, call
(313) 237-3429.