Le Corsaire Pas de Deux
Choreography by Marius Petipa
Music by Riccardo Drigo
Staged by Karen P. Brown
Lighting Design by Kirk Bookman
This Russian showpiece is an excerpt staged by Lev Ivanov from Marius Petipa’s 1864 full length ballet. Originally a pas de trois, this pas de deux is one of the most famous in the entire classical ballet repertoire and performed by nearly every classically-trained dancer. The ballet was inspired by the exotic and mystic drama in Lord Byron’s 1814 poem, The Corsair.
Ballet Premiere: Mid 19th Century, Theatre Imperial de l’Opera in Paris.
Kansas City Ballet Premiere: October 13, 2009, Lyric Theatre, Kansas City, Missouri.