Angel, my beloved

"The Spanish character has a lot to do with how I dance, very passionate and very extreme."
- Angel Corella

I used to not acknowledge Angel Corella's existence.  I get turned off when something is popular and in the dance world, you could say he was quite popular.  When I finally paid attention I find out why - this man is not human.  He can do tricks that you don't think can be done; in a previous generation, the equivalent would be Mikhail Baryshnikov.  Those turns and jumps - all to the left!  It's always fantastic to see anyone who can turn and jump well with their left side and Angel doesn't just turn and jump well, that's like MAJOR understatement right there.  I kick myself that I had been ignoring him ALL THIS TIME.  I super enjoy him now, which is what counts.

I've been enjoying him do the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene pas de deux.  Even before I was watching The Leaves Are Fading alternately over and over, I would watch him dance R&J, with Alessandra Ferri and Viviana Durante.  He does it differently with each girl, even if it's the same steps.  There's so much to say about each performance, I'm reserving my observations for my thesis.

Speaking of thesis, while doing research, I find a review of his R&J with Alessandra that turns him into the absolute perfect man:

"It should no longer be surprising what a confident, capable partner Corella is. He is so much the firebrand virtuoso, happily whipping off the multiple pirouettes, that it would seem that partnering would not also be among his strengths. But he carries off his partnering duties extremely well, giving his ballerinas freedom to let go, assured that he will be there for them."

Drool!!!  Very passionate, very extreme Spanish men are my favorite.  Sigh.

***review snippet of Romeo and Juliet taken from http://www.danceviewtimes.com/Volume 2, No. 25 - July 5, 2004
Copyright ©2004 by Susan Reiter