English National Ballet's LE CORSAIRE Begins Tonight

Principal casting is today announced for English National Ballet's new production of Le Corsaire (The Pirate) which premieres in Milton Keynes tonight 17 October 2013. The production will then tour to Southampton, Oxford, Bristol, London and Manchester. Full details as follows:

Milton Keynes

	Thursday Mat17.10.13	Thursday Eve17.10.13	Friday Eve 18.10.13	Saturday Mat19.10.13	Saturday Eve19.10.13
Medora	Takahashi	Cojocaru	Rojo	Takahashi	Klimentova
Conrad	Acosta	Muntagirov	Bufala	Acosta	Muntagirov

Southampton

	Tues E22.10.13	Wed E23.10.13	Thur M24.10.13	Thur E24.10.13	Friday E25.10.13	Sat M26.10.13	Sat E26.10.13
Medora	Cojocaru	Rojo	Oliveira	Takahashi	Klimentova	Rojo	Oliveira
Conrad	Muntagirov	Golding	Konvalina	Acosta	Muntagirov	Golding	Konvalina

Oxford

	Wed E 30.10.13	Thur M 31.10.13	Thur E 31.10.13	Fri E 1.11.13	Sat M 2.11.13	Sat E 2.11.13
Medor	Rojo	Tbc	Klimentova	Oliveira	Tbc	Klimentova
Conrad	Golding	tbc	Muntagirov	Konvalina	Tbc	Muntagirov

Bristol

	Tues E26.11.13	Wed E27.11.13	Thur M28.11.13	Thur E 28.11.13	Friday E29.11.13	Sat M30.11.13	Sat E 30.11.13
Medora	Cojocaru	Oliveira	Tbc	Cojocara	Rojo	Tbc	Takahashi
Conrad	Muntagirov	Konvalina	Tbc	Muntagirov	Golding	Tbc	Acosta

London Coliseum

	Thursday Eve 9.1.14	Fri Eve 10.1.14	Sat M 11.1.14	Saturday Eve11.1.14	Sunday Mat 12.1.14
Medora	Cojocaru	Takahashi	Oliveira	Rojo	Cojocaru
Conrad	Muntagirov	Acosta	Konvalina	Golding	Muntagirov

London Coliseum

	Tues E 14.1.14	Wed E 15.1.14	Thur M 16.1.14	Thur E 16.1.14	Fri E 17.1.14
Medora	Oliveira	Cojucara	Tbc	Rojo	Cojocaru
Conrad	Konvalina	Muntagirov	Tbc	Golding	Muntagirov
	Sat M 18.1.14	Sat E 18.1.14	Sun M 19.1.14
Medora	Takahashi	Rojo	Klimentova
Conrad	Acosta	Golding	Muntagirov

English National Ballet's Artistic Director Tamara Rojo said: "Le Corsaire is one of the great classics created by Marius Petipa for the Mariinsky Theatre. Like all great Russian classics it is a true epic story that offers drama, an exotic landscape and the best pyrotechnics of the classic technique. It's a men's ballet, with heroic and passionate characters and with the famous pas de deux that made a legend of Nureyev when he first performed in England with Dame Margot Fonteyn. This is a unique and unmissable opportunity as it has never before been performed by a British company."

"We are working with Anna-Marie Holmes who created this version more than a decade ago and she is willing to change it to make it specific for us. In reinventing Le Corsaire we have the chance to go through the whole narrative and look at it with fresh eyes, making it even better and personal to the Company.

"I am excited that this is a ballet with four male principal roles. Unlike many of the classics it will give great opportunities to the men in the Company to show off their skills and athleticism.

"We are also re-orchestrating the work because there have been many additions over the years. I want the music to sound more romantic and cleaner as it would have originally.

"And I am thrilled that Bob Ringwood, the amazing designer of Batman, has agreed to design the sets and the costumes."

Bob Ringwood, whose film credits include Batman. Alien 3, Star Trek Nemesis and Troy, explains his ambitions for the piece:

'Designing Le Corsaire, I thought it would be interesting to bring out the romantic and historic elements of the original ballet. I hope to capture the flavour of the Romantic period in which it was first staged. The sets and costumes are based on original paintings, prints and engravings of the mid-19th Century to capture and infuse the essence of the period. I felt it was important to bring out the romantic, sensual and erotic elements of the piece, which have been so neglected in recent productions. The sensuality of the women and bravado and swagger of the men, for us all to enjoy those heavily scented and perfumed Arabian Nights that so captivated Orientalist painters and writers of the second half of the 19th Century."

Le Corsaire is based on Lord Byron's poem Corsaire and tells the story of Conrad, a dashing pirate, and his love for Medora, the beautiful harem girl. It is a swashbuckling drama of captive maidens, rich sultans, kidnap and rescue,

disguise and conspiracy, love and betrayal, culminating in a shipwreck which is one of the most breath-taking spectacles in ballet.

Generously supported by Swarovski and Le Corsaire Appeal Donors.

Autumn tour and Christmas at the Coliseum

Le Corsaire

17 October - 30 November 2013, and 11 February - 15 February (*on tour see details below)

London Coliseum

9 January - 19 January 2014

Creative Credits
Staged by Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev
Music by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Leo Delibes, Ricardo Drigo and Prince Oldenbourg

Libretto by Jules-Henri de Saint-Georges and Joseph Mazilier in a version by Anna-Marie Holmes

Based on The Corsair (1814) by Lord Byron

Sets and Costumes by Bob Ringwood
Lighting by Neil Austin

"Romance, betrayal, murder - even a shipwreck..." New York Sun

Alfa Banking Group Alfa Bank is sponsoring English National Ballet's production of Le Corsaire in its London season. Petr Aven, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Alfa Banking Group, said: "I am delighted that we are partnering with one of Britain's greatest dance companies. Alfa Bank strongly supports building ties between the UK and Russia, be they in the business, economic or cultural spheres. Alongside bringing inspiring Russian work, like Le Corsaire, to British audiences, I hope this sponsorship will also shine a light on English National Ballet's young Russian dancers."

English National Ballet is launching a Production Appeal to help fund the new production of Le Corsaire. A new production is a huge financial and creative undertaking, costing hundreds of thousands of pounds and involving armies of makers, technicians and artists. For more information and to donate go to www.ballet.org.uk/productionappeal or call the Development Department on 020 7581 1245.