Philadelphia Ballet Carmen and Boléro Review
October 9, 2025 | The Academy of Music – Philadelphia, PA, USA
Philadelphia Ballet unleashes uncompromising intensity in Carmen and Boléro, demanding every ounce of technical prowess, physical power, and expressive daring from its dancers.
This double bill requires full-bodied expression and unrestrained control – only a company willing to commit fully can execute it successfully.
Under Ángel Corella, The Ruth & A. Morris Williams, Jr. Artistic Director, Philadelphia Ballet demonstrates technical mastery, dramatic focus, and stylistic sophistication.
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Philadelphia Ballet Carmen and Boléro Review
Opening night features Mayara Pineiro as Carmen; remarkably, she gave birth this past spring and now she commands the stage with fiery intensity, technical mastery, and fully realized artistry. Ashton Roxander portrayed Don José, Arian Molina Soca was the General, and Jack Thomas took on Escamillo.
(Alternate nights showcased Yuka Iseda as Carmen, Zecheng Liang and Roxander as Don José, and Isaac Hollis as Escamillo, each delivering world-class technique, intensity, and expressive command.)
The curtain opens on Don José, imprisoned in body and spirit, taut with tension from the first note. A soldier torn between duty and desire, Don José faces the consequences of impulsive passion and obsession.
Pineiro’s Carmen emerges against a dark backdrop, magnetic and untamed, her port de bras, flamenco, and braceo (fluid, circular, or expressive arm movement) sweeping across the stage in brazadas and punctuated with delicate floreo (ornamental movement of fingers and hands). Occasional alzapúa (upward flicking of the hand or arm) accents emphasize her expressive phrasing, igniting both danger and desire.
Make no mistake, readers: this is classical ballet - elevated, precise, and technically demanding - but with Spanish passion, pride, and beauty.
As Fernanda, So Jung Shin provides a striking foil, her sculptural clarity and precise braceo counterpointing Pineiro’s intensity.
Molina Soca balances raw emotion with measured control, while Thomas exudes elegance, clarity of line, and confident upper-body articulation.
It is noteworthy that a considerable number of company members – including Javier Rivet, Jorge García Alonso, Pau Pujol, Anna Serratosa, and Juan Montobbio Maestre – hail from Spain, bringing added authenticity to flamenco-inspired stylings that heighten rhythmic flair, dramatic expression, and character work without compromising classical precision.
Beatrice Jona Affron, The Louise and Alan Reed Music Director & Conductor, leads the orchestra with clarity and fire. Percussionists Miles Salerni and Ralph Sorrentino amplify the corps’ stamping and weight shifts, making percussive elements integral to the score. At times, even pointe shoes function as drums.
The corps animates duels, ensemble sequences, and bedroom confrontations staged by intimacy coordinator Alicia Rodis with cohesion and intent.
Costumes, a sea of red, black, and white, accented with lace, enhance silhouette, line, and character while allowing full freedom of movement, earning serious praise.
Then comes Boléro. There are anticipatory whispers in the audiences. It is rumored that this is a masterpiece. Members of the audience have flown in to Philadelphia for this moment.
Boléro begins as a boléro should: a solitary dancer under a spotlight, emphasizing striking line and control. As Ravel’s score builds, the company joins in, layering rhythm, movement, and visual impact.
The 60 dancers execute geometric formations, canon sequences, and mirrored lines with meticulous precision. Every movement – épaulement, weight placement, extension, and phrasing – aligns with the incremental crescendo.
Rivet and Jack Sprance, previously soldiers in Carmen, sustain technical and musical precision, while alternate performers rise to maintain the work’s intensity despite Sterling Vaca’s absence.
The company maintains focus, alignment, and dynamic energy throughout the long, hypnotic crescendo with extraordinary stamina.
Boléro emerges as a visually striking, living architecture of motion, every line precise, every formation deliberate, every angle exact.
Corella and his company earn a minutes-long standing ovation… ballet at its finest.
Philadelphia Ballet confirms its identity as a company in full command of its craft. Technical mastery, musicality, flamenco-infused style, and elevated stagecraft bring Corella’s vision to life.
Lights, fog, sets, costumes, and orchestral nuance transform the stage into an immediate, immersive experience.
Now more than ever, Philadelphia Ballet proves, unmistakably, that ballet is back and it has leveled up. If I could sum up the performance in one word: beautiful.
It was beautiful.
Featured Photo of Philadelphia Ballet of Mayara Pineiro as the title character in Ángel Corella’s Carmen. Photo by Alexander Iziliaev.
