Cinderella

• By ROBIN MILLER
• Arts writer
• Published: Apr 13, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into carriage and mice into horses so Cinderella could go to the prince’s ball. Everyone knows that.

But does anyone know what Cinderella ate at the ball?

Why, crawfish pie, of course.

Oh come on. In Louisiana, “ball” is just a fancy word for party, and parties serve up lots of food. True, Charles Perrault’s fairy tale skips over what was served. He wrote it in 1697, after all, and the story’s moral took precedence over food.

But this is 2008, and Cinderella is about to embark yet again on her adventure. She’s in Louisiana this time, and there will be food.
“Crawfish pie is her favorite,” Anne Melancon Doub said.

She’s Cinderella’s mom. Well, make that mom to Helen Daigle, who will be starring in the title role of the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’s production of Cinderella.

Performances are set for Friday through Sunday, April 18-20, in the Baton Rouge River Center Theatre.

Daigle has spent the last 10 years dancing as a first soloist with the Louisville Ballet. Baton Rouge is her home — the ballet theatre probably her true home. But when she drove into south Louisiana Friday, crawfish was a priority.

“I always stock up on my visits home,” she said. “Seafood and crawfish — crawfish pie. I love it.”

But Cinderella takes top priority, because even more than crawfish, isn’t it every girl’s dream to attend a magical ball in a beautiful dress only to win the heart of Prince Charming in the end? Or, in Daigle’s case, to play the character.

She’s bringing her own Prince Charming.

“His name is Robert Dunbar, and he’s also a first soloist with the Louisville Ballet,” Daigle said. “We’ve danced together before, and the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre asked if I knew of someone who could dance the part of the prince.”

Daigle didn’t hesitate in naming Dunbar. Not only have they worked together in past productions, but they’ve worked well together.