Word: slaving
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...version of an old Errol Flynn movie with plenty of swordfights, abductions, and veiled, scantily clad women. Set on the coast of the Ionian Sea, while Greece was under Turkish occupation, it is the story of a young pirate, Conrad (Robert Wallace), who falls in love with a Greek slave, Medora (Natasha Akhmarova), in a Turkish bazaar. When a pasha arrives looking for women to add to his harem, Medora is stolen away from him by Conrad and his band...
...pirates' lair, Medora dances for the pirates and expresses her love for Conrad, who agrees, for her sake, to free the other slave girls. But this decision angers his close friend Birbanto (Lazlo Berdo), who concocts a plot whereby Conrad is drugged in his sleep and Birbanto attempts to murder him. Medora fights with Birbanto and slashes his arm before the pirates carry her off to the pasha. Conrad, awaking to find Medora gone, is consoled by a suddenly "loyal" Birbanto...
...great athleticism. Birbanto was portrayed by Lazlo Berdo, who has greatly refined and improved his technique and overall dancing over the past few years. Berdo's character almost stole the show with his silly, frolicking antics, expressive face and great acting. Soloist Yuri Yanowksi took the role of the slave, Ali, who dances with Medora in the pirates' lair. Yanowski performed this short but technically demanding role brilliantly. His turns, tours, and jumps were perfectly executed and captivated the audience for the ten minutes that he was onstage. His is a face to look for in the future...
...choreographer, Daniel Pelzig. In the past two seasons he has created several new ballets for the company, and his ability to please the audience now includes this performance in which he himself is actually onstage. As the round, jovial, bouncy pasha, Pelzig's thrilled expression upon seeing the beautiful slave girls and his silly hopping about with a staff caused more than a few giggles in the audience...
...from the company at the end of the season. Her performance as Medora was by turns sweetly tender and cockily cute, and her fluidity and lithe jumps were flawless throughout the evening. Pollyanna Ribero, as Medora's friend Culnare, displayed her usual solid strength. In the pas d'Esclave (slave dance), the female role was performed by Jennifer Gelfand. The highlight of her variation was, as always, her amazing pirouettes and fouettes. She amazed the audience with her ability to do four and five rotations in the midst of her fouette turns, a feat that is seldom seen onstage...