Le Corsaire

[Meliss]

I wonder where Ali dances his famous variation. In the garden of Seyid Pasha? And I also wonder what kind of decoration he has on his head, like a tiara? And why is it? He's a slave!

[Tom47]

Meliss, from what I’ve seen Ali’s most famous dance is the pas de deux or pas de trois in the pirate’s grotto and he is wearing a feather which I thought was a sign that he was a slave.

Tom,

[Meliss]

3 minutes ago, Tom47 said:

Meliss, from what I’ve seen Ali’s most famous dance is the pas de deux or pas de trois in the pirate’s grotto and he is wearing a feather which I thought was a sign that he was a slave.

Tom,

Thank you for your answer. But what about this? 

 

[Tom47]

Meliss, I was referring to this from act 2, Ali and Medora, with a bit by Conrad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsXK5JH6Fts

Tom, 

[Meliss]

5 hours ago, Tom47 said:

Meliss, I was referring to this from act 2, Ali and Medora, with a bit by Conrad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsXK5JH6Fts

Tom, 

Isn't my fragment from Act 2?

[volcanohunter]

I would have guessed that his bare chest is the indicator of his slavery and that the headdress is a greatly simplified turban, as also seen in some productions of La Bayadère. "Ali" is a character found neither in Byron, nor in the original ballet, but Vakhtang Chabukiani (below) may have wanted to indicate that if the Greek pirate Conrad had captured a slave, the latter probably would have been a Muslim. 

[Meliss]

40 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

I would have guessed that his bare chest is the indicator of his slavery and that the headdress is a greatly simplified turban, as also seen in some productions of La Bayadère. "Ali" is a character found neither in Byron, nor in the original ballet, but Vakhtang Chabukiani (below) may have wanted to indicate that if the Greek pirate Conrad had captured a slave, the latter probably would have been a Muslim. 

Thank you. But what about that tiara on his head? 

[Tom47]

Yes Meliss, they are both the same dance.

Tom,

[Meliss]

1 minute ago, Tom47 said:

Yes Meliss, they are both the same dance.

Tom,

I thought as much. 

But why does a slave have a tiara on his head?