Published on Oct 5, 2026

Rating:

Genre: Dance & Ballet

Dates: November 28-29, 2026

Venue: Beijing Performing Arts Center

Prices: 80, 180, 280, 380, 480, 680

Features: The National Ballet of China will be performing the classic ballet Le Corsaire at Beijing Performing Arts Center from November 28th-29th, 2026.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

The National Ballet of China is the national ballet company of China. It was founded in 1959. In the early days, ballet experts from the former Soviet Union such as Peter An Gusev laid a solid foundation for classical ballet for the troupe, and rehearsed famous classical ballet dramas such as "Swan Lake", "Le Corsaire" and "Giselle".

The National Ballet of China's established policy is to introduce Western classical ballet and modern ballet classics while striving to explore the combination of Western ballet and Chinese national culture. As a result, it has created ballet works with Chinese national characteristics, such as "The Red Detachment of Women", "Blessing", "Lin Daiyu", "The Nutcracker", "Raise the Red Lantern" and other more than ten original dance dramas, and created influential contemporary ballet works such as "Yellow River" and "Butterfly Lovers".

Synopsis of Le Corsaire

The three-act ballet "Le Corsaire" is based on the poem of the same name by the famous British poet Byron and adapted by the composer Adolf Adam. The story takes place in the era when the Turks occupied Greece, and tells the story of the pirate leader Conrad and the fisherman girl Medora in pursuit of love and freedom.

In the past 40 years, "Le Corsaire" has been performed frequently by famous dance companies in Europe and the United States. One of the reasons is the most famous "Garden Dance" in the play. This pas de deux shows the strength and beauty of male and female dancers and tests the dancers' skills. Its rotation and allegro fully demonstrate the limits of the human body. This is one of the highlights. The multi-layered group dance performed by dozens of people in the play is rare in ballet stages in the past. This is the second highlight. Hundreds of colorful costumes newly produced for the revival are also a highlight.

Prologue

Storms hit the Aegean Sea. A group of pirates who refused to succumb to the Turkish occupation forces fought hard against the huge waves. Eventually, the mast capsized and the pirate ship was engulfed by the waves.

Act I

Scene I
The pirate leader Conrad and his friends Ali and Bill Bonto struggled ashore, but collapsed on the beach again. When the storm subsided, Mirador Gorna and other fishermen girls found Conrad on the beach and hid them before the soldiers searching for the pirates arrived. However, the girls all unfortunately fell into the hands of the human trafficker Ahmet.

Scene II
At the slave market in the port, Ahmet began to auction off the spoils of war—the girls and the pirates captured after the shipwreck. Most of the prisoners were bribed by the governor. After taking possession of Gorna, the governor wanted to buy the beautiful Midora. At this time, the patriarch threw off his cloak, and it turned out that he was Conrad, the leader of the island. Conrad and his partners rescued all the prisoners and captured the human trafficker Ahmet.

Act II

The victorious pirates celebrated their victory on their pirate ships. Conrad and Medora fell in love. Medora decided to stay with Conrad. Conrad ordered the pirates to escort the captured girls home and divide the spoils among them. Due to jealousy and dissatisfaction, Bilbonto took the opportunity to incite the pirates against Conrad, but he failed because he was intimidated by the justice and majesty of Conrad and his loyal friend Ali.

The human trafficker Ahmet took the opportunity to propose a plan to the depressed Birbonto - fumigating Conrad with medicine, hoping to take the opportunity to kill him, and then take Midora away and present it to the governor. The villain's plot succeeded. After waking up, Conrad and his friend Ali are determined to save Midora.

Act III

In the governor's back garden, Midora, who was picked up by a trafficker, unexpectedly met his girlfriend Gourna. The governor was having fun in the back garden. Conrad, Ali and other pirates disguised themselves as monks and went deep into the governor's palace, gaining the opportunity to successfully attack. Conrad and Midora are happily reunited. The pirates and freed slaves watched the sails of the Aegean Sea rise again. Conrad, Midora, Gourna and Ali set sail - towards the shore of freedom.

Tickets for National Ballet of China - Le Corsaire are Available now