Going to the ballet is not something I’ve ever done before. A few years ago while on holiday in Budapest I went to the opera thinking it was a very cultured thing to do… and hated it.
So when the chance came to go to the ballet in Manchester I thought it sounded like a great idea, even if I was prepared not to like it.
The English National Ballet is currently at the Palace Theatre performing a show based on Lord Bryon’s poem The Corsair. It’s the first time the ballet, called Le Corsaire, has ever been performed by an English company.
So I prepared myself for a night of ballet knowing that there was a live football match on TV at home that I could have been watching.
Le Corsaire tells the story of a band of pirates who steal a maiden from the Sultan’s harem in the historic Ottoman Empire.
Set at the Sultan’s palace, at the pirate’s lair and culminating in a shipwreck the sets are impressive, and are designed by Bob Ringwood, a Hollywood set designer behind films including Batman, Alien 3, Star Trek Nemesis, Ai and Troy.
DRAMATIC: Fight scene between two pirate rivals
It goes without saying that the story is not told with words, it’s 100% dancing from start to finish and I actually enjoyed the show much more than I expected.
It was a swashbuckling spectacle from the get-go and at times there were dozens of dancers on stage at a time wearing flamboyant costumes. Even if I didn’t fully understand what was going on at all times it was a genuinely enjoyable show.
Some of the moves were stunning and the quality of dancers on show was incredible. The music was a highlight too, with the orchestra performing a rousing score.
You never know, I might go again. The English National Ballet is back in town performing the better-known Swan Lake at the Palace Theatre in October.
Le Corsaire runs at the Palace Theatre until Saturday, February 15. Tickets £11.90 – £52.90
Pictures courtesy of ASH, with thanks
