'Cinderella' out of her shell

Cinderella

is a story of transformation. Put a tiara and a pair of glass slippers - or, in this case, sparkly pointe shoes - on a girl and she becomes a princess.

Similarly, Martha Chamberlain, a Pennsylvania Ballet dancer who rarely appears in major roles on opening nights or in publicity posters or photos, shone Friday in the company's opening-night performance of Cinderella. Chamberlain, a principal, has been dancing with the company for 19 years, and while her Cinderella may be a dreamer, she's not wide-eyed innocent.

Still, it took Chamberlain a while to settle into the role. She slipped onstage and took her place by the fireplace with little fanfare; it wasn't until a dancing master (André Vytoptov) showed up and tried to train her ridiculous stepsisters that she found her footing. Her few steps with the master were, of course, far superior to anything the stepsisters could pull off, and she was even better when she comically imitated them.

Things picked up even more at the ball, as she danced with the prince (Sergio Torrado) as well as solo, performing tricky pointe work. And she and her role really came together after the clock had struck midnight and she was home again, in her rags, dreamily re-creating the magical night.

I would have liked a stronger emotional connection between Chamberlain and Torrado, whose leg drooped a little in his pirouettes in second position. But most of his dancing was confident and strong, and he looked the part of a noble prince. Ben Stevenson's choreography uses male dancers to play the stepsisters, as many versions do. James Ihde and Jonathan Stiles were very funny without being over-the-top transvestites, and klutzy without being unbelievable.

Julie Diana flitted and floated nimbly as the fairy godmother, joined by a quartet of fairies representing the seasons. Abigail Mentzer as spring was outstanding - her dancing grows more precise with every production. Jermel Johnson, with his amazing flexibility and jumps, is always a crowd pleaser, but his acting is not at a similarly high level; his jester should have been more playful and amusing.

Overall, Pennsylvania Ballet's Cinderella is a success, although Stevenson's version is not my favorite. It's not very Cindy-centric, letting the stepsisters take over much of the time, and while the corps scenes are pretty, the dancers don't change patterns, positions, or levels often enough to remain interesting.

And Cinderella never tries on the all-important slipper to see if it fits - she just happens to be in possession of its partner. Is that enough to seal the deal?