Colorado Ballet’s season-opening production of “Le Corsaire,” which debuted last Friday evening in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, offers some exhilarating performances and a good dose of fun. But it’s hard not to wonder: Where’s the beef?
After launching its past two lineups with grand productions of “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Giselle,” this revamped tale of pirate adventure and romance seems a bit lightweight in comparison.
Granted, Marius Petipa’s classic takeoff on Lord Byron’s poem, “The Corsair,” did not have the emotional weight of those other 19th-century masterworks and could be confusing with its multiple characters and plot switchbacks.
But in a bid to keep his version (originally created in 2005 for the now-defunct Ballet Internationale in Indianapolis) to two hours in length and radically streamline the story, choreographer Eldar Aliev has put together what feels more like a series of well-choreographed dance highlights than a full-fledged story ballet.
If the structure of this ballet seems puny in some ways, the same cannot be said about
Simon Pastukh’s striking scenery and Galina Solovyeva’s costumes, which have to rank among the most sumptuous ever seen in a Colorado Ballet production.
Opening night, though, was technically marred by an amplified voice, which could be heard from backstage during some of the set changes.
After the arrival of Gil Boggs as artistic director in 2006, some turnover in the company’s roster of dancers was to be expected, and the results of that ongoing process can be seen in this production.
After last season, veteran principals Koichi Kubo and Chauncey Parsons resigned, and Maria Mosina went on maternity leave – big losses that the company has not totally been able to overcome with new hires and promotions.
A positive sign for the future is the engagement of Alexei Tyukov as a principal. The experienced dancer made his company debut Friday in the first of three casts, bringing technical sureness and a fitting dash of bravado to the title role of Conrad the pirate.
Male principals who have the skills and bearing to perform lead roles are not easy to find. It will take time to see what range of expression he can bring to his performances, but based on this first outing, he seems like a great find.
Shunsuke Amma, one of the company’s three newly promoted soloists, performs the role of the slave seller, Lankendem, an acrobatic role in which Kubo would have excelled. While Amma handled its demands capably enough, he clearly is still growing into his elevated position.
Much the same can be said about Asuka Sasaki, who was cast as Gulnara, a sign that she is being groomed for bigger things with the company. Although her technique is reasonably sound, she still seems unsure of herself as a performer.
Lighting up the role of the pascha was guest performer Gregory Gonzales, who generated plenty of laughs with his comically exaggerated shuffle and other high jinks.
But the evening’s star was unequivocally Sharon Wehner, one of the company’s tried and true veterans. This lissome, emotive dancer handled every technical challenge with artful ease and brought a sense of humanity to the role.
With fluid partnering and virtuosic solos, she and Tyukov shone in the production’s final pas de deux, which drew deserved cheers. But Wehner left the most lasting impression with her confident showmanship and graceful ease.
Much of this work is focused on women, including striking ensemble dancing in the dream scene and three lead dancers in the harem scene, each with strong solos – Dana Benton, Shelby Dyer and Sayaka Karasugi.
This production marked the less than auspicious debut of music director Adam Flatt. Too many times, such as sections of the pas de deux between Lankendem and Gulnara, tempos seemed to drag, draining the production’s energy and possibly inhibiting the performers.
“Le Corsaire” delivers two hours of light entertainment. Audiences wanting more just might leave disappointed.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
“Le Corsaire” Ballet
Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets. Colorado Ballet’s version of this classic tale of pirates and romance, with choreography by Eldar Aliev. Through Sunday. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. tonight, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday
2 hours $19-$145. 303-837-8888 or .
