A key plot point in the story of “Cinderella” seems incompatible with ballet.

“The fairy godmother brings me a bedazzled pair of pointe shoes,” explains Izabella Tokev, who will be one of two dancers portraying the title character in Richmond Ballet’s staging of Ben Stevenson’s “Cinderella.”

“They won’t be glass slippers because that would be a little painful,” she laughs. “They’re basically just pointe shoes, but they sparkle quite a bit and hit the light quite beautifully.”

That highly-specific piece of wardrobe is just one of many elaborate elements that makes “Cinderella” a highly theatrical production that will appeal to everyone, says Ma Cong, Richmond Ballet’s artistic director.

“What’s great about it is that it’s a story for all ages,” says Ma. “Even if a child hasn’t heard the Cinderella story, they can sit through the entire ballet and just soak it in.”

Ma credits Stevenson, the choreographer behind last season’s “Dracula,” for creating an engaging narrative full of drama, romance and comedy. “Ben is just so good at telling a story,” he says.

When he was a company member at the Tulsa Ballet, Ma danced in Stevenson’s version of “Cinderella” almost 20 years ago and says one standout element is the evil stepsisters being played by male dancers.

“It’s a very funny part of the production; everybody wants to be cast in those roles,” he says. “I really wanted to be one of the stepsisters because it’s a role where you can really explore the acting, not just the dancing.”

For Tokev, playing Cinderella represents a dream come true because it taps into what first drew her to ballet.

“The thing that brought me into ballet is still what I love so much about it,” she says. “I love to get dressed up, I love the costuming.

“When I was four, it was just the glitz and glamour of it. But now I also understand that, with the costume, you also get to play a character with a different personality, and becoming an actor on stage is really cool.”

Tokev has been with the Richmond Ballet since 2016, advancing to the main company in 2019. Her husband and fellow dancer, Khaiyom Khojaev, was one of the dancers playing “Dracula” last season. Tokev welcomed her chance to step into the limelight this year.

“Cinderella’s character trajectory is unbelievable,” Tokev continues. “She goes from rags to riches, and it’s a beautiful story. I’ve loved all the roles I’ve danced and but when you get to do this kind of dream role, it’s almost surreal.”

Aspects of the Cinderella story may seem passé in an era when the originator of the most ubiquitous version of the tale, Disney, is trafficking in more empowered princesses these days. Tokev argues that Cinderella’s character actually speaks to this moment.

“What makes her so special and what causes the fairy godmother to give her all of these gifts is not just pure luck but because she is so kind, her heart is so pure,” she says. In Stevenson’s version, Cinderella shows defiance when others are unkind, angering her step-mother by giving an old beggar food, for instance.

“She’s just the kindest person,” says Tokev. “I think that in itself is empowerment.”

The ballet’s score by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev has been praised for its variety and nuance, magisterial scenes contrasting with playful, antic and dark passages. Stevenson premiered the ballet in 1970 at the National Ballet of Washington but it has never been performed in Virginia before.

Richmond Ballet has staged the Cinderella story several times before, a version choreographed by the company’s former ballet master, Malcolm Burn. But the success of “Dracula” last season prompted Ma to turn to the Stevenson work, even though it is more than 50 years old.

“People really enjoyed ‘Dracula’ and I want our audience to come back to get an even greater sense of Ben Stevenson’s work,” says Ma.

“This Cinderella is a true treasure, like a diamond,” he says. “If you polish it, it just gets more and more shiny.”

Richmond Ballet’s “Cinderella” will be performed at the Dominion Energy Center, 600 E. Grace St., Feb. 14-16. Tickets and information available at https://richmondballet.com/.