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A Splendid Le Corsaire
By Don Kolman
When viewing Le Corsaire one needs to realize immediately that the story is silly at best and unintelligible at worst. One comes to this ballet simply to enjoy the forum it provides for bravura dancing. Le Corsaire has one incredible solo, pas de deux or pas de trios after another. So just go for the wonderful dancing and don't worry about trying to understand the story. An additional fortunate point for the Los Angeles ballet audience is that American Ballet Theatre is the only ballet company today with a complement of sufficiently outstanding dancers to bring this ballet off successfully.
Nina Ananiashvili and Julio Boca headed the opening night cast and were wonderful to behold. Miss Ananiashvili, as Medora, was the usual icy precisionist. She exudes an aura of other worldliness. She is lightning fast, light as a feather, and sharp as a knife. Her turns are unbelievably fast and seem to go on forever. She was wondrously partnered by Julio Boca as Conrad. This partnership is long lived and it shows. Miss Ananiashvili openly exhibits total confidence in Mr. Boca and therefore takes chances that she would never take with a partner she trusted less. She leaps blindly into his arms and allows him to drop her over his back with her head all the way to his waist. They are truly lovely together.
Julio Boca was absolutely stellar in both his dancing and acting. This is a Conrad thunderstruck by love at first sight. He is ardent and passionate and shows it with some of the wonderful dancing for which he is so well known. Mr. Boca was incredibly fast and his barrel turns were remarkable to behold. He may not be able to achieve the elevation that he did a few years ago, but he certainly has everything else that matters - speed, precision, passion, and a wonderful ability to relate to his partner.
Angel Corella has made the role of Ali his own. His interpretation is the one by which all others must currently be judged. One is constantly amazed by the things Mr. Corella can do. He leaps in such a way that he appears at times to be flying. He turns so fast that he is almost a blur, always adding little touches here and there that make his dancing of this role constantly different. At the end of his pas de trios solo, Mr. Corella deservedly brought the audience to its feet.
Jose Manuel Carreno makes an extremely elegant Lankendem. He solos brilliantly and partners with his trademark attentiveness. His one arm lift of Gillian Murphy was spectacular. The audience was wildly appreciative of his outstanding leap and wonderful turns.
Gillian Murphy as Gulnare exhibits the magnificent talent that accounts for her recent appointment as one of the company's newest principal dancers. Her extensions are glorious and her turns are incredibly fast and precise. Miss Murphy is able to do not only double and triple fouttes but also quadruples - truly something to behold.
Joaquin De Luz as Birbanto, Conrad's friend, was excellent. He is small, but as a solo dancer he is spectacular. He has talent to burn and dances with great verve.
Maria Ricetto, Stella Abrera, and Michele Wiles were lovely as the Odalisques. Miss Ricetto's extensions were outstanding. Stella Abrera is exceedingly fast and has marvelous control. Micheles Wiles' balances are splendid, and she appears to be able to hold them forever.
The corps de ballet was as precise as one has come to expect with this company. They are one of the company's many outstanding assets. The orchestra was most ably conducted by David LaMarche
Le Corsaire will be danced by different casts. The opening night principals - Nina Ananiashvili, Julio Bocca and Gillian Murphy are joined by Marcelo Gomez, Ethan Stiefel and Herman Cornejo on Saturday Evening, July 13, at 8 pm. Paloma Herrera and Ethan Stiefel are joined by Xiomare Reyes, Gennadi Saveliev, Jose Manuel Carreno, and Herman Cornejo on Friday, July 12, at 8 p.m. Angel Corella replaces Carreno and Joaquin del Luz replaced Cornejo on Sunday matinee, July 14, at 2 pm. On Saturday matinee, July 13, the cast is headed by Maxim Belotserkovsky and Michele Wiles. Joining them are Maria Riccetto, Sean Stewart, Angel Corella, and Joaquin De Luz.
Tickets are $20.00, $35.00, $45.00, $75.00, and $90.00. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster Phone Charge at 213-365-3500 or 714-740-7878. Online at www.ticketmaster.com and in person at the Doropthy Chandler Bavilion Box Office at 135 North Grand Avenue.
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