Pirates of the Orient

THE ENGLISH NATIONAL Ballet wraps an all-too-rare Asian tour this weekend with a spectacular production of “Le Corsaire” in Singapore.
Internationally acclaimed Spanish ballerina Tamara Rojo, who has also served as the ENB’s artistic director for three seasons, took time out from her busy schedule for a chat.
“As both a dancer and the artistic director I know how to look after the dancers in the company, and how to give them the tools to develop as dancers and artists,” she says.
“I have to be very organised with my time, splitting it between my duties as artistic director, and then class and rehearsals. I am very lucky to have the support of my artistic team, who help me realise my vision for the company.”
Rojo says she’s delighted at the reception the troupe received in China.
“We were welcomed with open arms in Tianjin, Guangzhou and Beijing. The audience’s reaction to both ‘Coppelia’ and ‘Swan Lake’ was tremendous – we could not have expected so much adulation for the entire company. I would love for the company to return to Asia again in the future.”
Before leaving Asia though, the company is staging five performances of “Le Corsaire” at the Esplanade. The ballet is billed as “a swashbuckling fantasy tale of captive maidens and cutthroats, love and betrayal, all culminating in a shipwreck, which is one of the most breath-taking spectacles in ballet” and, of course, plenty of “action, passion and romance” are promised.
“When I become the artistic director in 2012, I wanted to introduce innovative new works into the company’s repertoire, while continuing to honour traditional ballet,” Rojo explains.
“‘Le Corsaire’ was the first full length ballet I commissioned and I am extremely proud of the production. When it premiered in 2013, I was thrilled by both the audience’s reaction and the critical acclaim the production achieved.”
Those kudos include, for example, The Independent’s declaration, “ENB’s ‘Corsaire’ delivers both exotic designs and rigorous dancing”. The Observer called it “Fabulously entertaining”, adding, “if you’ve never been to a ballet, trust me, this is the place to start”, and the Financial Times wrote, “The score sounds as it should, and ENB’s artists roar through the dances – and those thin threads of narrative that just about hold the piece together – with no sense of being tourists. They know who they are, and where they are.”
Credit is due to Anna Marie-Holmes who reworked Marius Petipa’s and Konstantin Sergeyev’s choreography as well as to set and costume designer Bob Ringwood whose name should ring a bell with film buffs for his work in “Batman” and “Troy”.
“Not many ballets can boast a full-scale and full-on shipwreck. His genius and opulent set and costume designs are not only impressive but also realistic,” Rojo enthuses. “I really feel the audiences get swept away with each scene –it feels almost cinematic. Bob is such an experienced designer and with such an in-depth knowledge, he has re-created an absolute masterpiece.”
Despite this, Rojo’s personal favourite highlight of “Le Corsaire” is “that there are five male principal roles in this ballet, allowing audiences a great opportunity to see the range of our incredibly talented male dancers.”
Rojo, who’ll also perform the lead role of harem girl Medora in one performance, concludes, “As the only company in the UK to have this work in its repertoire, I wanted to take ‘Le Corsaire’ to audiences around the world. Singapore is the first place outside of Europe that we will take ‘Le Corsaire’ to, and I can’t wait for the audience to experience this epic work.”
The writer thanks Gina Koh and Elizabeth Wong for all assistance.
 SET SAIL
 n The English National Ballet’s “Le Corsaire” runs from tonight until Sunday at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore.
n Tickets are from S$60 (Bt1,500) to $220, with student discounts.
n Find out more at www.Sistic.com.sg, www.DansFestival.com and www.Ballet.org.uk.