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In the three to four hundred different versions of the story of Cinderella, one
element remains constant - Cinderella herself. Cinderella is a character that
is embraced by everyone. Her hopes, her dreams, her generosity, her transformation,
and ultimately her reward of happiness are universal qualities that have made
Cinderella so endearing.
Children marvel at the story of the poor peasant girl who with a generous heart,
endures the hardships of her stepmother and the two stepsisters who do everything
to make life miserable for Cinderella. The good-hearted "Popoliushka",
as Cinderella is called in the Ukrainian folktale, is guided by a gypsy or "Voroshka"
to meet the Prince of her dreams and live happily every after.
The best known versions of Cinderella are those by Francois Perrault written
in 1729, and the Brother's Grimm version written in 1812. The classical world
of ballet and music of the 19th century was fascinated by the romantic folk
tales of the people. Dvorak researched folk music and composed the enduring
Slavonic Dances. Prokofiev, fascinated by folktales as a source of inspiration
for the ballet, completed his well known score for the ballet of Cinderella
in 1945.
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