Once upon a time, there wandered a girl with golden hair into the woods and into the home of the three bears. This weekend, that girl is coming to the UAE with the story of what happened next.
The tale of Goldilocks & The Three Bears plays out between November 24 and 25 at Dubai’s Madinat Theatre and November 27 at Abu Dhabi’s National Theatre. And while the story has been adapted many, many times since it was first written in the 1800s, the fairy-tale is getting an enchanting makeover — with a little help from the Northern Ballet company.
American dancer Abigail Cockrell, who plays the titular role in the 40-minute performance, has been dancing since she was eight years old; she joined Northern Ballet in 2016. The ballerina’s portfolio includes William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. Cockrell spoke to Gulf News tabloid! ahead of her UAE gig about why Goldilocks & The Three Bears — the ballet is not too long, not too short; it’s just right.
What makes this show just right — for you as a ballet dancer, for the audience to watch?
I think this show is “just right” because the dancing conveys the story of Goldilocks well, in a shortened time frame, ensuring that the audience is immersed in the story for the entirety of the ballet.
What were the challenges of taking on Goldilocks?
I would say the primary challenge taking on Goldilocks is making sure that I stay in character for the whole ballet. I have to be very animated for the duration of the show, and need to make a conscious effort to do that.
Is there any other fairy-tale-based ballet that you’d like to be a part of? What’s your favourite fairy-tale/romantic story?
In terms of a fairy-tale-based ballet, I think it would be fun to take part in Cinderella. My favourite romantic story, or romantic ballet is probably Romeo and Juliet.
Tell us about your funniest moment on stage?
I think the funniest moment on stage for me occurred when I was a student at the Pacific Northwest Ballet. My friend and I were “nurses” in the prologue of The Sleeping Beauty, and were in charge of staying by the baby doll representing Aurora. One of the other students was attached to a harness and had to fly across the stage, and flew right into the crib, and my friend and I had to scramble around to get the set back together again.
What are your plans for the future?
I am currently pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Health and Medicine, so I plan to finish that, while enjoying a (hopefully) long ballet career. I intend to make the most of my career dancing, and would like to explore facets of dance that I have not yet experienced.
Don’t miss it!
Goldilocks & The Three Bears runs on November 24 and 25 at Dubai’s Madinat Theatre and November 27 at Abu Dhabi’s National Theatre. Tickets to the show in Dubai start at Dh125; in Abu Dhabi at Dh110.
