Anastasia Kolegova and Leonid Sarafanov in Le Corsaire

Anastasia Kolegova (Mariinsky Theatre) and Leonid Sarafanov (Mikhailovsky theatre) in Pas de Deux from Le Corsaire, music by Adolphe Adam, choreography by Marius Petipa. Shot 2013 in Savonlinna, Dance Open ballet festival.

Anastasia Kolegova (with Mariinsky Theatre) and Leonid Sarafanov (with Mikhailovsky Theatre) in Pas de Deux from Le Corsaire, music by Adolphe Adam, choreography by Marius Petipa at Dance Open Savonlinna 2013.

Anastasia Kolegova (Rus Анастасия Колегова) was born in Chelyabinsk, Russia. She graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 2000 (class of Lyubov Kunakova). Since 2000 she has performed with various dance companies including the St Petersburg Konstantin Tachkin Ballet Theatre, the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (Vilnius), the St Petersburg Boris Eifman Ballet Company and the Mariinsky Theatre. Joined the Mariinsky Ballet Company in 2006.

Leonid Sarafanov was born in Kiev, Ukraine. In 2000 Sarafanov graduated from the Kiev State School of Choreography and in 2002 joined the Mariinsky Ballet Company. He’s a guest principal with the Teatro alla Scala (Milan), Tokyo Ballet, The Vienna State Opera. He performs principal roles in classical and contemporary repertory. In 2006 he was awarded the International Benois de la Danse Prize.

Le Corsaire is a ballet typically presented in three acts, with a libretto originally created by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges loosely based on the poem The Corsair by Lord Byron. Originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier to the music of Adolphe Adam, it was first presented by the ballet of the Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra in Paris on 23 January 1856. All modern productions of Le Corsaire are derived from the revivals staged by the Ballet Master Marius Petipa for the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg throughout the mid to late 19th century.

The ballet has many celebrated passages which are often extracted from the full-length work and performed independently: the scene Le jardin animé, the Pas d’esclave, the Pas de trois des odalisques, and the so-called Le Corsaire pas de deux, which is among classical ballet’s most famous and performed excerpts.

Photos by Jack Devant © with kind permission of the Dance Open, special thanks to Ekaterina Galanova, Julia Martina, Daria Donova and Adelia Mukhamedzhanova.