ABT'S LE CORSAIRE, MET OPERA HOUSE, NYC, MAY 4, 1999

Conducted by Charles Barker

Le Corsaire returned this season on May 4, with Nina and Julio Bocca in the lead roles of Medora and Conrad. ABT made a few revisions from last year's edition--most notably, the deletion of the solo for the pasha's favorite wife in Act III. There were also costume changes--some puzzling (a tulle wrap instead of a proper body veil for Gulnara in the first act; autumnal colors for the harem pants outifts for both Gulnara and Medora in the last) and others irksome (those bandannas on pirates and Conrad's taupe tights detracted from the dashing appearance of these characters).

That said, Corsaire remains a pleasurable evening of dance. It is a hodge podge of styles and music, but so chockfull of good humor, colorful characters and gemlike dance vignettes that only ballet curmudgeons in need of a long vacation on an uninhabited island could possibly object to it.

Act I, set in a slave bazaar in Turkey, starts off on an energetic note with the entrance of a band of pirates. Julio Bocca, the chief corsair, is seconded by his friend Birbanto (the always ebullient Angel Corella). Bocca, who is new to the role this season fudged a few steps in his first solo, but was an otherwise effectively magnetic presence. A bewitching trio of odalisques is introduced by Lankendem (Vladimir Malakhov), a slave trader; they show off their "wares" in challenging variations. Yan Chen offered delicate and clear leg beats as first odalisque and Gillian Murphy (who is already being nicknamed "the turner") enticed the crowd with triple and quadruple pirouettes. The picky Pasha Seyd (Ethan Brown), having turned down this trio, is next presented with the beauteous Gulnara (Ashley Tuttle), who comes in veiled and is shown off by Lankendem in the so-called "Pas d'Esclave," a classical pas de deux that showcased Tuttle's musical acuity and delicate but strong footwork--especially in an impressive series of hops on pointes. Malakhov reveled in his patented extra-deep pliés in his solo turn.

Medora enters, and once unveiled, captures the Pasha's fancy immediately. The pirate chief Conrad is also enamored. In Medora's ensuing dance, she manages to flirt with Conrad while also teasing the Pasha into a frenzy. By the act's end, the Pasha has bought both Gulnara and Medora, but Conrad steals Medora back.

Act II takes place in Conrad's hideout, a grotto near the sea. Medora, Conrad and his slave, Ali, dance to entertain the crew. [This is the "pas de deux, " which turns out to be a pas de trois, made famous by Nureyev and Fonteyn.] Seen in the context of the full ballet, the trio becomes a sort of celebratory dance, with the three principals exultant in their escape from the Pasha. Nina's glamour (she was resplendent in a purple/blue tutu which accorded well with the nighttime setting), aplomb and technical virtuosity made a feast of this bravura showpiece. Details that haunt my memory include her spinning effortlessly in the supported pirouettes, taking extra turns while one leg travelled from passé position to the floor with the smoothness of unfurling silk. She added difficulty to the series of fouettés by varying her arm positions to accentuate every third turn. With Jose Manuel Carreño's excitingly danced Ali, plus Bocca's high- powered Conrad, this became the climax of the evening. Yet , more was to come--- a tender love duet for Medora and Conrad, highlighted with spectacular lifts and rapturous turns that were apt dance equivalents of their heightened feelings.

The jewel of Act III, set in the Pasha's palace, where all the characters are assembled once more, is the "Jardin Animé" scene. Falling asleep by his garden, the Pasha dreams that his harem beauties have turned into dancing flowers. It's a scene to treasure, as graceful phalanxes of multi-colored blooms form and reform in shapes mimicking a formal garden. As the central flower, Nina comes onstage in a white tutu embroidered with pink and green floral motifs. In a particularly enchanting vignette, she threads her way across a series of flower hoops, striking a different pose in each before moving on to the next. Music, form and movement blend to create a moment of dance heaven.