DANCE PICK

CINDERELLA STORY:The revelatory riches of the Frederick Ashton Centenary Celebration dwindle down to final three performances at the Metropolitan Opera House tonight, and tomorrow afternoon and evening. Four ballet companies took part in this very special mini-festival within the Lincoln Festival 2004, but these last three performances have been entrusted to Ashton’s own London company, the Royal Ballet, performing his masterwork “Cinderella,” which he choreographed in 1948. (It was the first, full-evening ballet ever created for a British company.) In 1949, “Cinderella” became part of the first New York season given by the Royal Ballet (then known as the Saddlers Wells Ballet), with Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes in the leading roles. This production – with new staging supervised by Somes’ widow, Wendy Ellis Somes – originally was presented at London’s Royal Opera House last December. The new scenery is by Toer Van Schayk and costumes by Christine Haworth. Tonight performance will be led by Alina Cojacuro and Johan Kobborg, tomorrow afternoon will be Leanne Benjamin and Vyacheslaz Samodurov, and the final team will be Tamara Rojo and Inaki Urlezaga. Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln center, 65th and Broadway, (212) 262-6000.