This Month in BM History: July 2002
Based on the 1814 poem by Lord Byron, Le Corsaire was choreographed by the legendary Marius Petipa and restaged for Ballet Manila by Osias Barroso and guest ballet master Viktor Saveliev. Souvenir program from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
Reaffirming its status as the only ballet company able to present classical ballets in full-length form in the country, Ballet Manila mounted Le Corsaire (The Pirate) once more in 2002.
Osias Barroso is the pirate Conrad and Lisa Macuja-Elizalde the damsel in distress Medora in Ballet Manila’s production of Le Corsaire in 2002. Photo by Ocs Alvarez
In fact, Ballet Manila was the only company in the Philippines to have been able to bring Le Corsaire in its full-length form to the Filipino audience. It premiered the pirate adventure in 1998 with the Krasnoyarsk Ballet and performed it again in 2000.
The 2002 full-length staging – with 16 performances – was special as it showcased all homegrown ballerinas and danseurs. There were three different casts and several individual premiers in various principal roles.
“One advantage of Ballet Manila… is that we are able to bring out our up and coming members and apprentices and present them in more challenging and visible roles,” wrote artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde who herself danced as Medora in several shows.
An item published in the Manila Standard announces Ballet Manila’s second time to stage an all-Filipino, full-length performance of Le Corsaire. Clipping from the Ballet Manila Archives collection
Le Corsaire’s appeal is its entertainment value, meant for viewers of all ages. As Macuja-Elizalde puts it, “It’s not everyday you get a pasha’s harem, a shipwreck, swashbuckling pirates and kidnapped damsels in distress, a living garden and a slave market all in one evening.”
Pamela Asprer as the harem slave Gulnara and Lankadem as the slave trader perform a famous pas de deux from Le Corsaire. Photo by Ocs Alvarez
Based on the 1814 poem by Lord Byron, Le Corsaire was choreographed by the legendary Marius Petipa and restaged for Ballet Manila by Osias Barroso – then principal dancer who also danced as Conrad – and guest ballet master Viktor Saveliev.
The story begins with the pirates Conrad, Ali, Birbanto and their companions battling a storm and eventually crashing on shore. They meet the Greek women Medora and Gulnara who are unfortunately abducted by Lankadem to be sold as slaves, with the Seid Pasha as the main customer. Conrad and his men come to their rescue. The women are later recaptured by Lankadem, and Conrad hatches a plan to save them anew. And once they are free, they sail off together in search for more adventures.
Aileen Gallinera portrays the lead Algerian Slave being sold off in an auction. Photo by Ocs Alvarez
