With a coherent story line, bright of presentation and stunning dancers, the National Ballet of China's hit revival of <i>Le Corsaire</i> is definitely a feast for the eyes.

Featuring all the principal dancers of the company, the show runs until June 10 at Beijing's Tianqiao Theater.

A tale of dashing pirates, passionate heroines, swashbuckling abductions, and dramatic ship rescues, the three-act ballet focuses on the corsaire Conrad and his men who are shipwrecked on a Greek shore. They are rescued by a group of beautiful women, led by Medora who hides them. When their saviors are kidnapped by Turks and sold into slavery the buccaneers set out to rescue them. This sets the scene for a romance between Conrad and Medora and a series of swashbuckling rescues, punctuated by betrayals from treacherous sidekicks.

The magnificent shipwreck which opens the ballet leaves a dramatic impression. The staging cuts to the Middle Eastern bazaar where slave girls are being traded. The setting is Middle Eastern with minarets and lush, colorful Arabian costumes.

The slave girls are in flimsy, flowing skirts, and the whole scene is reminiscent of Henry Matisse's Odalisques or something from 1001 Arabian Nights.

Zhang Jian and Zhu Yan, the two principal ballerinas of the company dance in turn the role of Medora. While both have impeccable technique, Zhang is more lyrical, while Zhu is somehow more passionate.

On Monday, the opening night at Tianqiao, Zhang displayed an elegance and refinement of movement that stole the show. Her long, slender arms and neck only added to her gracious aura.

The title role was danced by Sun Jie on the first night, much to the audience's delight. In Act One, he enters like sprung steel as he leaps, twirls, kicks and does the splits around the stage. In Act Two, he gave the famous pas de deux with a ton of energy and verve.

This performance is full of excitement. The men thrust out their chests and throw themselves about the stage with passion and vigor, all the while demonstrating their breathtaking technique.

"Along with its improbable mix of pirates, female slaves abducted from a harem, and a shipwreck with the doomed vessel sinking into the stage, Le Corsaire has multiple opportunities for dancing," said Feng Ying, ballet master of the company who directs the revival.

"The large number of leading roles allows the National Ballet of China to show off our principal dancers and emerging stars, especially the men. As for the two lead ballerinas, Medora and her friend Gulnare, encompass every aspect of female dancing, from the purely classical to the coy and cute, from the seductive to the emotional binge of a happy ending, achieved after overcoming many obstacles," she added.

Classic repertoire

In the eyes of Zhao Ruheng, president of the National Ballet of China, <i>Le Corsaire</i> means much to the company, because it was one of the first three repertoires that the company performed shortly after it was established in December 1958.

In 1959, the renowned Russian choreographer Pyotr Gusev came to rehearse Swan Lake, Giselle and <i>Le Corsaire</i> for the newly-founded ballet troupe, laying a sound foundation of classic ballet at the then Central Ballet of China, said Zhao.

In 1998, the company invited Russian ballerina Marina Kondratieva to help to revive the work. And Feng Ying's version is based on that of 1998.

However, Zhao also revealed her concern about the show which has not sold as well as Swan Lake, The Red Detachment of Women or Raise the Red Lanterns.

"Le Corsaire is one of the most popular pieces in the classic repertoire, especially the pas de deux between Conrad and Medora in Act Two. Many dancers like to perform the pas de deux in shows or contests, but (the ballet) is not so familiar to Chinese audiences as Swan Lake.

"But we don't want to be totally market-orientated.

"As the leading ballet company in China, we have the responsibility to guide the audience and to introduce to them more shows than just Swan Lake," said Zhao.

(China Daily June 9, 2005)