Spanish television is covering the Corella Ballet Castilla y Leon's trip to New York. Here is a clip of some of the dancing taken from YouTube via rtvcyl.es which reports on the company's great success on opening night.
Also, the Associated Press attended Corella Ballet's Opening Night at City Center. Jocelyn Novek has a positive and unusually lengthy review that is rapidly being picked up by publications all over the world. She loved the Maria Pages' pas de deux for Angel and Carmen Corella:
But the general atmosphere at City Center was one of excitement and affection. And it all came to a head just before the second intermission, with a rousing standing ovation for "Solea," a flamenco-infused pas de deux for Corella and his sister, Carmen, a former ABT soloist and now a principal in his company.
Much of the appeal of "Solea," choreographed by Maria Pages to flamenco music by Ruben Lebaniegos, was the obvious affection between brother and sister, who had never danced together before. As Corella ruefully told a small audience two nights earlier in a panel discussion, "Carmen is very tall" _ too tall for him to partner her in standard works.
But the two were perfectly matched in "Solea," both for their Latin good looks (this family sure has the right genes) and their infectious joy in dancing.
Just under eight minutes, "Solea" began with the Corellas sitting back to back on a dark stage. What unfolded was an intriguing melding of flamenco and classical ballet. A few flourishes of the pointe shoes became the equivalent of flamenco shoes tapping. Each dancer clapped as the other leaped or turned _ ballet moves to a flamenco beat.
At the end, the two laughed as the audience roared.
And Wendy Perone was positively blown away by Solea. From her Dance Magazine blog:
I was choked up from the start, and the piece sustained that sibling connection so beautifully that I was in tears by the end. Everyone else must have felt the same, ’cause they gave it a roaring standing ovation, midway through the program.
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