Yolanda Correa and Yoel Carreno in La Esmeralda

La Esmeralda pas de deux by Yolanda Correa and Yoel Carreno, music by Cesare Pugni, choreography by Marius Petipa.

 

Yolanda Correa is a Soloist with Norwegian National Ballet. Yolanda was born in Holgin in Cuba. She studied at the Art Vocacional School of Holgin and National School of Ballet in Havana, and won the Contest Meetings of Ballet Academies in 1999. Before she joined the Norwegian National Ballet in autumn 2010, Yolanda was a soloist with Cuba’s National Ballet with which she has toured the world. With the Norwegian National Ballet she has danced a number of principal parts.

Yoël Carreño is dancer with Norwegian National Ballet. He was born in Havana, Cuba. He studied at the Elemental Ballet School and National School of Ballet i Havana. As a student, on several occasions between 1996 and 1998 he achieved good results in the International Contest Meetings of Ballet Academies. Yoël Carreño was a soloist with Cuba’s National Ballet before he joined the Norwegian National Ballet in autumn 2010 He has also appeared as a guest performer with a number of companies.

La Esmeralda is a ballet in 3 acts, 5 scenes, inspired by Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, originally choreographed by Jules Perrot; with music by Cesare Pugni. It was first presented by the Ballet of her Majesty’s Theatre, London on March 9, 1844 with the Ballerina Carlotta Grisi as Esmeralda, Jules Perrot as Gringoire. Today the ballet is presented in its full-length form only in certain parts of the world; Russia; parts of Eastern Europe; and New Jersey, United States. Outside of Russia, Eastern Europe and New Jersey only excerpts are given – the La Esmeralda Pas de Deux and the Pas de Six, but mostly the Diane and Actéon Pas de Deux is given, which in all actuality is not originally from the ballet.

Photos by Jack Devant ballet photography © with kind permission of the Royal Ballet Gala and Nordea Concert Hall, special thanks to Mr. Sander Sellin.