Credits
Choreography by Marius Petipa, Pyotr Gusev, Vyacheslav Khomyakov
Revised by Vyacheslav Khomyakov and Igor Zelensky
Staging by Vyacheslav Khomyakov and Igor Zelens
Stage Designer: David Monavardisashvili
Stage Designer’s Assistant: Vladimir Rumyantsev
Costume Designer: Tatiana Noginova
Lighting Designer: Amiran Ananiashvili
Musical Director and Conductor: Pyotr Belyakin
2 hours 20 minutes
two intervals
The production premiered on April 3, 2012.
World theatres are inalterably drawn by charm of romantic ballet with its spectacular plots, picturesque set designs and diversity of “dance lexis”. Version performed on the Novosibirsk stage represents an ironic outlook of today’s person on exaggerated characters’ passions. At the same time this is a ballet in which adventurous and lyric story keeps one up from the beginning and until the end of performance where classical and character dances delight perfectionist eye of balletomane.
Prologue
Scene 1. Storm. Shipwreck
Three bravehearts on a sailing ship are fighting the storm. The sailing ship has wrecked.
Act I
Scene 2. Lagoon
By the shipwreck cast ashore by the waves there are three young men, who survived. The Greek girls find them. Medora especially like one of the young men, Conrad. He tells about himself and his friends, Ali and Birbanto. He confesses that they are sea pirates, the corsairs.
The girls warn them about the Turkish soldiers approaching. Medora and Gulnare manage to hide the corsairs, but get kidnapped themselves.
Isaac Lanquedem, the slave trader, who has tracked down the girls and brought the soldiers, is pleased. He generously pays the officer.
The corsairs can’t help the girls but they swear to save them.
Scene 3. Bazaar
Lanquedem shows his slave girls to the merchants, who have gathered at the bazaar. Seyd Pasha, who is willing to buy new girls for his harem, is taking the seat of honour. Gulnare attracts his attention, and he buys her.
The slave trader shows Medora. She is so beautiful that Seyd Pasha is ready to buy her at any cost. Meanwhile a noble merchant gets off the ship. Medora recognizes Conrad. He asks the girl not to show that she knows him and starts bargaining, charging an incredibly high price. Seyd Pasha is appalled, he asks the rich man to present himself. The «merchant» and his suite throw off their beautiful clothes: the stunned Seyd Pasha and the merchants see the armed corsairs. They kidnap Medora, the slave girls, Lanquedem and dash to the sea. The Turkish guards can’t stop them. Seyd Pasha is enraged.
Act II
Scene 4. The corsairs’ grotto
The corsairs are pleased with the good haul seized from the merchants. They make a feast in honour of the saved beauties. The girls admire the corsairs’ dances. On Conrad’s request Medora dances with him and his friend Ali. The corsairs are stunned by the beauty of their leader’s beloved.
The girls ask Medora to make Conrad let them free. Conrad agrees but Birbanto and other corsairs protest against the decision. They demand to leave the girls on the island. A row begins. Conrad insists on his decision. Together with Medora they see the girls off to the shore.
Lanquedem sneaks to the corsairs. In exchange for his freedom, he offers a way to avenge on Conrad. The corsairs agree and Lanquedem gives them a sleeping potion. Birbanto is happy: he pours the potion on the flowers and orders Lanquedem to bring the flowers to Conrad. The cunning Lanquedem gives the flowers to Medora, who presents them to Conrad thanking for saving her girlfriends.
Conrad falls asleep, the corsairs kidnap Medora. Conrad wakes up to find out that Medora has disappeared. He swears to find and save her.
Act III
Scene 5. Seyd Pasha’s seraglio
Seyd Pasha admires Gulnare’s beauty. He doesn’t like the new slave girls offered by Lanquedem. Then the slave trader brings Medora to the beautiful jardin animée composed by the girls. Pasha is overjoyed. He buys Medora.
The corsairs disguised as pilgrims appear in the palace. Pasha invites the pilgrims to join the evening prayer. Medora recognizes Conrad, disguised as one of the pilgrims. Striking the right moment, the corsairs set the girls free.
Epilogue
Scene 6. The sea
The free pirate ship sails upon the stormy sea, bringing Conrad, Medora and their friends to the new adventures...