Le Corsaire

Starring: American Ballet Theatre, Julie Kent Original UK Premiere: 1998 Dvd Release: 31st July, 2000 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: PAL, Widescreen, Region 2 Encoding

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Le Corsaire,, is a ballet in 3 acts choreographed by Konstantin Sergeyev to music by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo & Prince Oldenbourg. When Le Corsaire premiered on January 23, 1856 at the Paris Opera House, the choreography was done by Joseph Mazilier. Marius Petipa rechoreographed it for its 1899 production by Mariinsky Ballet. This version was not only better recieved, but it was the basis for all productions to be done. // Though the ballet takes place in Turkey, many of the dances have a Russian feel to them. Sergeyevs choreography is focused hugely on the stars of the show, who are asked to perform amazing techincal feats. Impressive jumps, unending twirls & many pas de deux are interspersed in the story. Birbanto -- First mate & good friend to Conrad. Lankendem -- Seller of girls at a Turkish bazaar. Medora -- Beautiful slave girl, object of Conrads desire. The curtain opens On the ship, pirates can be seen, foremostly Conrad, Birbanto & Ali, Conrads slave.

Amazon excelled themselves in getting a copy of this DVD, ordered Friday evening, on Monday morning.

The DVD is very attractively packaged & is a great improvement on the old video. Overall a marvellous live production of Le Corsaire from American Ballet Theatre.

The costumes are especially attractive & adventurous - without straying too far from traditional ballet.

As the narrator, on the DVD, says the convoluted story is not important & it is the dancing & music that matter.

The dancing is varied & excellent, full of beauty charm & grace from the ballerinas. This is not a Nutcracker but the dancing often strays into that sort of territory.

The music is credited to five composers but, if I had to describe it, sounds like Delibes ballet music. The sound quality on the DVD, apparently live, is very clear & would not be out of place on separate CD of its own.

Interviews with the dancers & others helps to draw you into the ballet & the occasion. Its comforting & amusing to find that even Julie Kent cannot remember all the ins & outs of the plot!

The American Ballet Theatre is one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century & a leading company in America. The company was originally founded in 1937 as the Mordkin Ballet & then reorganized in 1940 with a new name as the Ballet Theatre, with direction from Lucia Chase & Rich Pleasent. In 1956 it became the American Ballet Theatre & has kept that name till today. In 1960, the company became the first American company to dance in the Soviet Union. Many choreographers have staged works for ABT, including George Balanchine, Adolph Bolm, Michel Fokine, Leonide Massine & Bronislava Nijinska. Antony Tudor, the British choreographer, made his American debut with the company. Agnes de Mille staged the majority of her ballet works with ABT. Others include Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp & Alvin Ailey. Posters Of Don Quixote

Editors Choice: Le Corsaire, American Ballet Theatre, Don Quixote, View DVDology

Julie Kent, birth name Julie Cox, is an American ballerina. Kent did her training at the Academy of the Maryland Youth Ballet & joined the American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice at the age of sixteen, in 1985. In 1990, she was promoted to the rank of soloist with the company & to principal dancer in 1993. In 2002, she became the first American to win the Prix Benois de la Danse. American Ballet Theatre profile of Julie Kent. Julie Kent as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. Julie Kent as the Black Swan in Swan Lake.

Editors Choice: Le Corsaire, View DVDology

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