Ah, those nasty sexy pirates. More, more, more!
Another terrific Le Corsaire by American Ballet Theatre with its ageless wonder, Jose Manuel Carreno, creating audience ecstasy with his flight and fleet and, oh yeah, his six-pack and sex appeal. Due to some reshuffling of Ali casting this week, J.M. found himself dancing the role at both the matinee and evening performances. No doubt, in between curtains, he found time to do 10,000 crunches and one-arm pushups. He is magnificent dancing in this role and a magnificent god to look at.
Conrad had a tough time stealing the spotlight tonight but Marcelo Gomes brought out his best snarling and damn near his best dancing confronting everyone on stage and then sneering at the audience! He’s in fantastic condition with a gorgeous flexibility in his back and arabesque and go-for-broke pirouettes that elicited an audience response of “Are you kidding me?!”
Our Medora this evening was Nina Ananiashvili who demonstrated yet again, as she has done for these past 16 years, the magic that has melted hearts and the grandeur of a true ballerina. Haglund believes that after two Le Corsaires, two Giselles, and two La Sylphides in the coming weeks, Nina will be in close to the best shape of her life for her final Swan Lake. There were many glorious moments last night including in Act II when J.M. pressed Nina over his head with two fully extended arms while she was in one of those leg-in-arabesque-with-other-leg-in-passé -with-arms-raised-in-fifth poses. Haglund prays that Nancy Ellison had her camera ready for that one. Nina was so fully engaged with all of the other performers on stage, including the slave girls chained at the rear. She could have rested while the other principals were center stage, but she didn’t. She delivered a little mime lesson right in the faces of those young corps girls hopefully inspiring them to embrace the importance of becoming complete performers.
That said, Haglund had to stop himself from pulling out his cell to dial up 1-800-Tutu-Police when Nina came out after the first intermission with that purple thing on. After the second intermission, she returned with a beautiful white tutu. Surely she mixed up her Act II and Act III costumes. Somebody please say that’s what happened.
Craig Salstein, like Carlos Lopez the night before, was dancing at his best as Birbanto. This is such a terrific principal role, and can even be the showstopper that Ali is. Sarah Lane in her debut as Gulnare gave a good first performance and will find her way in this role. She may have been listening too much to the harping on her smiley ways, because now she has a fixed expression of raised eyebrows with a half smile. For pete’s sake, all she has to do is vary her expression. It’s about variety of expression, not whether the grill is always out there or not.
Gennadi Saveliev, as Lankendem, completed the principal cast and delivered a fantastic diagonal of his signature whatchamacallit move that no one else does along with a circle of fabulous flying barrel turns. His Lankendem was lovable low-life through and through.
Much thanks to the entire corps – especially the pirates –, soloists, and principals for another rip-roaring performance!
Nasty sexy pirates. More, more, more!