Radiant Ballerinas Lead New Cast of ‘Corsaire’

New casting for the previously reviewed American Ballet Theatre “Le Corsaire” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center highlighted ballerina finesse on Thursday, with the formal “Jardin Anime” divertissement in Act 3 suddenly blooming into full glory.

Credit Irina Dvorovenko as Medora and Ashley Tuttle as Gulnare for leading the “Jardin” corps and children to a level not previously achieved in this weeklong engagement--the former with a radiant grandeur that perfectly matched the music, the latter with a lightness and delicacy that completed choreographer Marius Petipa’s dream-portrait of ideal female classicism.

Earlier, Dvorovenko had stopped “Le Corsaire” in its tracks with a sensational fouette / pirouette combination during the celebrated title pas de deux (which is actually a trio)--while Tuttle had dominated the “Pas d’Esclave” with her bold yet refined virtuosity. Both eclipsed their partners in the ballet: Maxim Belotserkovsky as an energetic, stylish but technically uneven Conrad (Medora’s pirate-lover) and John Selya as a gutsy but raw Lankendem (the bazaar owner selling Gulnare into slavery).

However, Keith Roberts danced strongly as Ali (Conrad’s slave) and acted the role more imaginatively than his predecessors, creating a genuine character who exuded a sense of danger and even mystery instead of merely waiting around with his shirt off for his showpiece in Act 2.

In other new casting, Olga Yaroslavtzeva brought pride and vigor to her duties as the lead pirate woman, and Gil Boggs worked hard, with periodic success, at making Birbanto’s bravura impressive and his pantomime appropriately menacing. Two new Odalisques--Ekaterina Shelkanova and Anna Liceica--helped give the choreography a stylistic unity: Soviet rather than 19th century Romantic, but very much in sync with Dvorovenko’s placement and technical instincts.

Conductor Charles Barker endowed the patchwork score with new muscular force, and the playing of the Pacific Symphony continued to inch toward acceptability.

* The ABT “Corsaire” repeats, with changes of cast, today at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. $10-$68. (714) 556-ARTS.