The ballet Le Corsaire (The Pirate) is usually presented in three acts and is based on the poem “The Corsaire” by Lord Byron. It was first performed in Russia in the year of 1858. In this ballet, the character Medora, Lankendem’s ward, is first sold to a rich slave dealer, Pasha. But then, Medora is kidnapped by the corsaires and Conrad, who then declares his love for her. When they arrived at the corsaire’s cave, Conrad and Birbanto cause a fight about whether or not they should free the other slave girls. Still, Conrad keeps his promise and lets them go. Birbanto is not happy and decides to put a sleeping spell on Conrad, using a flower, telling Lankendem to give it to him. Lankendem does as he was told so that he can be freed, and Conrad falls to the ground asleep. Following, Medora is captured by the corsaires, and Conrad finally awakes to the disappearance of Medora. Later on, the three odalisques dance the Odalisque Pas de Trois and Medora is brought to Pasha. Conrad then arrives at Pasha’s palace, disguised, and finds Medora dancing for them. When Pasha finds the two together in his palace, Conrad is sentenced to death. At Pasha’s wedding, he tells Conrad that he will free him on one condition, that Medora will be his. Conrad goes to Medora and tells her the news, but he rejects. Gulnare, who has been watching them closely, decides to help them out. Medora goes up to Pasha, and she agrees to his terms. Their plan goes well as the bride’s veil is over her head and Pasha places the ring on her. When Pasha and Medora are left alone, Pasha gives her his handkerchief, and as if it was a prank (joke), Medora ties it around Pasha’s wrist. Later in the evening, Conrad arrives, takes Medora, and Gulnare shows Pasha that she was the bride and had the ring placed on her. The corsaires, Medora, and Conrad then head out to sea, as it is stormy, and crash. But, luckily, Medora and Conrad are still alive and didn’t drown.

The third Odalisque variation comes from this ballet, Le Corsaire, and is shown in the Odalisque Pas de Trois (three). An odalisque is a female slave in a harem. This variation is also, sometimes, called the turning variation because of its turning diagonals. Some people think that only the pirouettes (turns) are hard, but, actually, the whole variation is hard and needs a lot of training before. Starting from the first section, the assembles have to be high off the ground, it has to travel, and the feet positions have to be tight in fifth position. Then keep the entire leg, starting from the hips to the feet, turned out to go into the next few moves. When you reach the turning diagonal, feel like you are a “robot.” Move your arms the same way every time and hold your back muscles. Keep your feet turned out when going into fourth positions because it is very visible from where the audience is looking at it. Make sure to also keep the leg that is going into arabesque right behind you, so you’re aligned when going into the pirouette. Once you have finished that diagonal, there are bourres moving towards another diagonal. Here, keep the legs squeezed tightly together and make the movements very tiny, but travel! Some people make things different for the type of dancer they are, but usually, at the end, there are lame ducks (a type of turn). For lame ducks, keep them clean, step directly in front with one leg, then cross the other in front while not overcrossing, and substitute to turn. Finish the diagonal, do a nice slow bow, run off the stage nicely, with turned out feet, of course, and the variation is done! If it is still thought of as easy, think again because this variation is filled with many tough skills.


Publish Date: 12/15/2020