Cinderella

Popup children’s books, Monty Python, and a trip to Germany in 2019 are where I found my inspiration for Cinderella.

I set the musical tucked away in the forests of Bavaria. I was inspired by The Brothers Grimm and Neuschwanstein castle, the famous palace rumored to have inspired Disney’s own Cinderella’s castle. I loved the quirkiness of setting it in Bavaria and added silly phrases painted on the set in German. Some personal favorites were “We have gluten free pretzels,” at the bakery, and a “Live, Laugh, Love,” sign inside Cinderella’s house.

I continued to lace lighthearted humor into the classic fairy tale through choreography, especially in “Me, Who Am I?” Instead of constructing a large horse for Prince Topher to ride on, I envisioned the prince and his posse on hobby horses. From prances, to trots and heel clicks, this dance not only brought smiles to the audience but also to the cast. We designed each hobby horse, inspired by the name and personality that the actors chose. 

Another dance number I was immensely proud of was the ball sequence. Many high school programs would be intimidated to learn multiple complicated partner dances, but not this group. I taught the cast a true German gavotte, a small circle dance inspired by peacocks and other fancy birds trying to catch a mate, and a waltz sequence for “10 Minutes Ago.” “10 Minutes Ago” became a favorite of mine. Woven within the one, two, three steps of the complicated partnering moves were solo combinations, movements across the floor, circles, and lifts. I wanted to create a magical ball that the audience would still be thinking about at the end of intermission, and I believe we did just that.

Henryetta High School
2025

You can view the entire album of this production’s photos by clicking here.