Performances

2007-2008 Season

Le Corsaire

Our Spring performance will be a full length production of Le Corsaire, May 3rd and 4th in Mandel Hall.

University Ballet's production of Le Corsaire includes musical works by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Leo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo, and Prince Oldenbourg. Staged by UBallet artistic staff after the choreography of Konstantin Sergeyev after Marius Petipa.

Prologue
After months at sea, plundering and pillaging throughout the Mediterranean, the pirate ship La Zofia prepares to dock.

Act I - The Bazaar

The greedy slave trader, Lankandem, has brought a new shipment of beautiful slave girls to the local bazaar. The ship's first mate Birbanto is excited to satisfy his lust, but Conrad, the captain of La Zofia, falls madly in love with Medora, Lankandem's most beautiful slave girl. Though Medora returns Conrad's affections, Lankandem hopes to fetch a high price for her from the kingdom's pasha. When the pasha arrives, Lankandem offers him some of his most beautiful slave girls, but the pasha is not interested, and they are taken by the pirates instead. Next, the slave trader presents the exquisite Gulnare, whom the pasha cannot refuse. Of course, Lankandem has saved the best for last; he presents Medora to the spellbound pasha, who pays whatever it takes to have both of these beauties as his own. Conrad is distraught. Then crew and their mistresses dance as a diversion while his loyal slave Ali rescues Medora. The pirates return to their grotto with the rest of the slaves, leaving Gulnare in the pasha's clutches.

Act II - The Grotto
Back at the grotto, the pirates celebrate their latest successful plunder, while Ali rejoices that his master Conrad has found true love, the beautiful Medora. After the festivities die down, Medora pleads with Conrad to free her friends from enslavement, and Conrad agrees. Birbanto is furious at losing the girls, and gathers some of the crew to stage a mutiny. Conrad puts an end to the uprising, but Birbanto is still upset. Secretly, Birbanto plots to kill Conrad with the help of a poisoned flower, whose scent can send the strongest man into a deep sleep. Lankandem, charged with the task of giving the flower to Conrad, has a child deliver it to Medora while she and Conrad are together. Having smelled the flower, Conrad faints, and Birbanto tries to steal Medora away. Desperate to remain with her lover, Medora takes Conrad's knife and stabs Birbanto. She is hurried away from the grotto by Lankandem, who plans to return her to the pasha. Just as Birbanto makes the final move to kill his captain, Ali enters and awakens Conrad. Birbanto plays the innocent bystander as Conrad and Ali grieve the loss of Medora.

Act III - The Palace
In the palace, the jester finds the pasha's new wife Gulnare very tricky to keep under control. Lankandem arrives, and brings with him three beautiful slave girls, the Odalisques. Not even these girls are enough to satisfy the pasha, who longs for Medora. When Lankandem presents her to the pasha, Medora is relieved to see her dear friend Gulnare again, but devastated to have lost her love. The pasha, overcome with excitement, decides to take a nap and dreams of all his beautiful wives dancing in the palace flower garden. After his dream, the pasha is awoken by his jester, who tells him that a group of pilgrims is passing through and has come to pray with him. Some of the "pilgrims" - the pirates in disguise - make a show of praying with the pasha, while others kill off the palace guards. After prayers, the oblivious pasha invites them into his court to make merry. Gulnare dances mischievously with the pasha, while Conrad reveals his identity to Medora, who in turn informs Gulnare. When the moment is right, Conrad and his crew unveil themselves and the entire palace explodes into mayhem. Medora realizes Gulnare is being pursued unwillingly by Birbanto, and begs Conrad to make him stop. Medora proves Conrad that Birbanto was the one to betray him by explaining the stab wound on his wrist. Desperately, Birbanto tries to kill Conrad, but Ali produces a pistol with which Conrad shoots Birbanto.

Epilogue
Conrad and Medora flee the palace with Ali and Gulnare, pursued by Lankandem, the pasha, and his jester. They escape to sail away to their new lives together. In a twist of fate, the sky turns black and the ocean swallows La Zofia. By a miracle of true love, Conrad and Medora are washed ashore alive. They awaken and embrace, knowing that nothing can separate them.

Duke Ellington's Nutcracker and Sur la Glace

Friday, January 18th, 8pm and Sunday, January 20th, 2pm
International House

The first act of this winter show was the recreation of an ice rink on stage, the short ballet Sur la Glace, with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer, Emil Waldteufel, and Charles Gounod is a comedic painting of an array of characters on a ninteenth century ice rink. The second act consisted of all original choreography by UBallet members to Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite with live accompaniment by University of Chicago Jazz X-Tet.