Le Corsaire

Inspired by Lord Byron's poem of the same name, Le Corsaire has become a canonical ballet since its inception in 1856. The version most often performed today is rooted in the revised performances that showed throughout Russia. These were at the hands of legendary choreographer Marius Petipa and the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg in the mid to late 19th Century. Le Corsaire is a sea-bound story, replete with pirates, shipwrecks and captives featuring a female lead with a "heart as strong as a man's!" This beloved classical ballet is still widely performed and cherished as a masterwork of dance.