
Amber Scott, Cinderella (Ratmansky) 2016
Photo Elliott Franks
This strange folk tale of a royal falling foot-first in love with a commoner is more than two thousand years old. The earliest version of Cinderella can be traced back to between c. 7 BC and c. 24 AD when it was recorded by Greek geographer Strabo. Titled Rhodopis, the Ancient Greek account tells of an eagle who snatched the sandal from a beautiful courtesan and dropped it on an inquisitive Egyptian king who was instantly entranced by its loveliness. Moved by the strangeness of the event and the beauty of the shoe, the King sent his servants in every direction to find its owner where upon she was brought to Egypt to become his wife.
In China, the story of Cinderella first appeared during the Tang Dynasty. Written by poet Duan Chengshi, this incarnation featured Ye Xian, a young, orphaned girl who is abused by her stepmother and half-sister. Ye Xian befriends a magical fish who gives her golden shoes to wear to a festival, but when she is recognised by her stepmother, she flees, losing one of her shoes. This time, the King searches for the girl who can fit the slipper himself, finding her and bringing her back to his kingdom, and sentencing her cruel stepmother and half-sister to a violent death.