The Not-As-Common Classical Ballets

We all know the "main" classical ballets; the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, the Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Don Quixote, to name a few. When we hear the words "classical ballet" chances are that you think of one of these.
However there are other, less-common ballets that are nice as well. Ones like A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cinderella, Harlequinade, La Fille Mal Gardee (etc). Ballet's like these are what I would like to dedicate this post to, seeing as they often do not get the recognition they deserve.

To start off I found a version of the ballet Sylvia, danced by Darcey Bussel and Roberto Bolle (<3), that I thought was very good (Royal Ballet Version)! Sylvia is a ballet made in 1876 by Louis Merante, music by Leo Delibes (the guy who composed Coppelia). I will post the link to Wikipedia, seeing as I think they give a good description of the plot line...and I'm too lazy to type it out hehe...

Plot Line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_(ballet)#Act_I:_A_Sacred_Wood

Ballet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69mQboarQ3o

I would also like to take a moment to acknolege the ballet Paquita. While most of us know the ballet (seeing we danced it a few years ago) I still think it does not get the recognition it deserves. The most famous part of Paquita are the numerous variations (some of which we will be learning in 6/7 class :D). Again, I will post the plot line on the Wikipedia page because I am too lazy to type it all out. Oh and I'll post the most famous variations (performed by the Mariinsky Theatre [Kirov Ballet]) as well as the full-length ballet (Paris Opera Ballet version).

Plot Line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paquita#Plot_Outline

Full Ballet (POB): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gOMvTPYLLU&feature=related

Variations:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpMhaWKWVvs&feature=related
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMP2kxeUh2g&feature=related
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xz7HnXoBvQ&feature=related
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNsCDMqlUBI&feature=related

Le Corsaire is a fantastic ballet that sort of border-lines the mark of a Common Classical Ballet, and a Not-As-Common classical ballet. I will post the full length ballet (performed ABT...its in a playlist form, so as the last video finishes the next starts) as well as the famous Pas de Deux (with Svetlana Zakharova).

Full Length:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV0jT1Do6NQ

Pas de Deux:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQvyQc68-u4

Finally, I would like to pay my respects to two other ballets, La Esmeralda and Harlequinade. I have the Natalia Osipova La Esmeralda variation (I know I've posted it like 100 times already...I just cant get over it!!!) as well as the adagio from Harlequinade.

Harlequinade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_unI7E5ZS8A

La Esmeralda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV0jT1Do6NQ

There are so many other great, not as well known ballets...these are just some of my favorites. What are yours?

<3