"Le Corsaire" - June 22nd Matinee

[Colleen Boresta]

I don't have a lot of time so I'll just make this brief. I wasn't expecting much from this matinee. I had wanted to see Dvorovenko, but unforunately she's out with an injury the whole season. I kept thinking I should change my ticket, but I just never got around to it. Anyway, I ended up really enjoyng the ballet. Michele Wiles as Medora was a revelation, both in

her dancing and acting. She was a little tentative in Act I, but by

the famous slave pas de deux (or is it a pas de trois?) she had made the part her own. I think she could work a bit on her fouettes, but overall it was a very impressive performance.

I had seen Gillian Murphy as Gulnare back in 1999, so I wasn't

surprised at how good she was, especially with regard to her dancing. She has such speed and attack and very strong leaps. I do think Murply could work a bit on her acting though. But she's

such a strong dancer and I think a more thorough characterization of Gulnare will come in time.

Another revelation was Sean Stewart as Birbanto. I was thinking

and everyone around me was saying "He's only in the corps"? His dancing was very good, and his acting even better. I understood for the first time (and this was my fourth time to see

"Le Corasire") why Birbanto turns on Conrad. And Stewart made a deliciously evil Birbanto.

Unfortunately, Birbanto was a much stronger character than Conrad. Maxim Belotserkovsy as Conrad almost seemd like he was in a different ballet from everyone else. He lacked the swashbuckling bravado the roles requires (IMO anyway). He

seemed to dance his way halfheartedly through the ballet, not connecting with any of the other perfomers.

Jose Manuel Carreno was very good at Lankendem, though not quite up to the standard set by Vladimir Malakhov in the part. And though Marcelo Gomes was very good as Ali, I was somewhat

disappointed with his performance. I've seen Angel Corella dance Ali twice, and Gomes did not live up to Corella's spectactular's Ali. I also don't think Gomes quite fits the part .(Didn't Alexandra and some other posters say this when they reviewed ABT in Washington D.C.?) I would really love to see

Hernan Cornejo dance this role. I bet he might even give Corella

a run for his money.

All in all, "Le Corsaire" was very enjoyable, and as already stated

I was particularly impressed by Wiles, Murphy and Stewart.

[Michael]

Sean Stewart was really a surprise to me too, I was very impressed by his performance and have been by him in everything he's done this season. When he was showing off the Slave Girls I thought that the Pasha would much have preferred an evening with Bribanto.

[BW]

We were there too - and I would have to say that after reading your post, Colleen, that I see what you mean about this Conrad's lack of swashbuckle... I kept wondering why the pirates just didn't nail him in the grotto!;) And Michael, your comment about the Pasha's preference in Birbanto's companionship is perfect!

All in all, we truly enjoyed our matinee of swashbuckling piracy, high jinks, true love and melodrama on the hight seas - and I loved that ship, too!

My favorites were Gillian Murphy, Sean Stewart and Jose Manuel Correno. Sean Stewart was so good at being bad!

[Natalia]

Colleen wrote:

Michele Wiles as Medora was a revelation, both in her dancing and acting.

**********

No surprise to those of us who have known & followed Wiles for a long, L-O-N-G time at Kirov Academy, Varna IBC & beyond. She has the true Petipa-Kirov style (read that: noble elegance) running through her veins, it has always appeared.

Thanks for the full account of the performance, Colleen! It seems to have been a winner, in all respects & by all soloists.

- Jeannie

[sidwich]

Originally posted by Colleen Boresta

Unfortunately, Birbanto was a much stronger character than Conrad.  Maxim Belotserkovsy as Conrad almost seemd like he was in a different ballet from everyone else.  He lacked the swashbuckling bravado the roles requires (IMO anyway).  He  

seemed to dance his way halfheartedly through the ballet, not connecting with any of the other perfomers.  

Jose Manuel Carreno was very good at Lankendem, though not quite up to the standard set by Vladimir Malakhov in the part.  And though Marcelo Gomes was very good as Ali, I was somewhat

disappointed with his performance.  I've seen Angel Corella dance Ali twice, and Gomes did not live up to Corella's spectactular's Ali.  I also don't think Gomes quite fits the part .(Didn't  Alexandra and some other posters say this when they reviewed ABT in Washington D.C.?)  I would really love to see  

Hernan Cornejo dance this role.  I bet he might even give Corella

a run for his money.

All in all, "Le Corsaire" was very enjoyable, and as already stated

I was particularly impressed by Wiles, Murphy and Stewart.

I couldn't agree more with your review Colleen. I enjoyed the piece overall very much (but I almost always enjoy the ballet ), but for most of the first act, I kept watching Belotserkovsky, and thinking, "Is he really the pirate in charge?" Very wishy-washy for Conrad. Too bad since it was my first exposure to him.

Enjoyed Carreno a lot, and thought he brought a different flavor to Lankendem than Malakhov. Was especially impressed with the one-handed overhead lifts he did with Gillian Murphy. Spectacular. Still missed the super-deep plies of Malakhov, but still a very fun performance.

I didn't think Ali was particularly Gomes part, although I enjoyed watching him dance (hadn't seen a lot of him so far). But I'm spoiled. Gomes was my fourth ABT Ali, after Stiefel, Corella and Carreno (in that order). Definitely made a note to go see him in other things. (Count me in on the "Cornejo for Ali" vote).

Great afternoon was had by all though. (A friend invited me to go with her family, including her very young nieces and nephews. After paging through the synopsis (which cracked her up), she turned to her sister and asked, "Do they know what this is about?" :eek: )