The corsair with wings on his feet.

Created in 1865 in Tallin as a society of “song and drama” the Estonian National Ballet treasures its century and half of history. Armas Lindgren and Wivi Lönn were the Finnish architects of a theatre building which endured bombing and all manner of attacks in both World Wars. In 2005, the locale was totally restored and renovated.

The Ballet and its headquarters are the symbol of cultural identity, in a country which has established music and dance as one of its most important assets.

Born in the city of Viljandi, and its director since 2019, Linnar Looris graduated from the Tallin Ballet School and was a Principal Dancer for many years with the Estonian National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Houston Ballet of the United States, among others.

The choreography and stage direction are the work of José Carlos Martínez. He was the director of the Spanish National Dance Company (Compañía Nacional de Danza) from 2011 to 2019, and presently leads the Paris Opera Ballet. His production of Le Corsaire is a world success and can be found in the repertory of various international companies. José Carlos Martínez designs an elegant version of the piece in two acts that simplifies the story, focusing on the love between the Conrad the Corsair and the beautiful slave Medora. In an exotic and dreamed Orient, as imagined in the 19th century, these romantic adventures are the pretext for a brilliant succession of virtuosic movements which highlight the quality of a magnificent troupe, exemplified by the expertise of the soloists who dance some of the most famous variations of the classical repertory here.

Le Corsaire, a ballet in three acts premiered at the Paris Opera in 1856. Based on the poem by Lord Byron and the opera of the same name by Verdi, its fame lies in the splendid bravura of its choreographic score with variations that have been performed by all the great dancers in the history of ballet.