When Sherri Laney walked into Genesee Theatre Friday night to see the State Ballet Theatre of Russia’s performance of “Cinderella,” she noticed a young lady dressed in a black-and-white gown handing out brochures.
“Oh, how beautiful,” Laney said, greeting Jocelyn Soto, Junior Miss Waukegan, who admitted she’s not fond of wearing dresses.
Jocelyn, 13, joined her sister, Miss Waukegan Jailene Soto, 18, and Little Miss Waukegan Maritza Escamilla, 8, in a rare opportunity to see professional ballet in Waukegan after handing out programs and greeting participants.
The girls have been doing service projects several times a month since they were chosen as winners last summer. They’ve handed out Halloween candy for six hours — which was tiring, Maritza admitted — and worked with children at park district programs. But being at the ballet and greeting guests was the most exciting one of their duties, Maritza said.
“I love ballet,” she said. “I like ballerinas. They wear pretty outfits.”
Friday marked the first time she’s been inside the Genesee Theatre.
Her uncle, Ricky Escamilla, who accompanied her, said, “She’s really excited. There’s some history to this place. She likes ballet. She watches it on TV. It’s good for her to come out and see it for real.”
“This is different from what they usually do,” said Lori Hernandez, who arranged for the girls to go to the ballet.
Hernandez works with the Waukegan division of the Lake County Community Pageant system.
“This is a good experience for them,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity that others might not have.”
Jailene Soto, who attends the College of Lake County and wants to be a teacher, said she’s enjoying her duties as Miss Waukegan.
“When we worked at the park district, I got to see how kids interact with each other,” she said. “Tonight, I look forward to interacting with adults, too.”
Jailene and Jocelyn saw “The Nutcracker” ballet years ago while they were in Girl Scouts. Jocelyn said she remembers the funny outfits and the mice in the ballet. “I like watching the flexibility” of the ballerinas, she said
Though Jocelyn thinks ballet costumes are beautiful, she said, “I don’t like wearing dresses. They’re so poofy.” The dress she wore Friday took up nearly two seats in the theater.
The youngest patron the pageant winners greeted was 4-year-old Olivia Schwuchow of Beach Park. “I love ballet,” Olivia said. “I learn it in my dance class.”
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Olivia’s parents took her to see the ballet. She came dressed up in a flared white skirt and black velvety top with a with a bow in her hair, and did a little ballet-like turn for the pageant winners.
When the performance began, young Russian women wearing green, red, blue and other colorful tutus, toes wrapped in ballet shoes, entered the stage. The audience and the pageant winners were transported into an otherworldly experience, with the music of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev in the background.
This was not exactly the Cinderella the pageant queens knew, with pumpkins turning into coaches and mice on stage. They hoped for mice, but there were none. And the ugly stepmother was played by a male ballet dancer.
At intermission, they exclaimed how beautiful the ballet was.
“I didn’t understand all of what was going on, but I’m looking forward to the second act, when I get to see Prince Charming,” Jocelyn said.
Maritza said she was waiting during the first half and finally, after many pirouettes, arabesques and grand jetes by a flurry of colorful dancers, the fairy godmother helped Cinderella get to the ball. “I think it was good that Cinderella got a dress at the end,” Maritza said.
Jailene said her favorite part in Act 1 was when the ugly stepsisters were fighting. “I could relate to that,” she said, adding that “the dresses are beautiful. I love the tiaras.”
Fifty minutes later, after Act 2, the girls joined the audience in applauding as Cinderella and Prince Charming finally were united.
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.