CHINA’S CENTRAL BALLET : NEW PRINCIPALS IN ‘MAID OF SEA’

Amid the jete ing ginseng and semaphoring seaweed in Central Ballet of China’s “Maid of the Sea” Sunday night at Pasadena Civic Auditorium, two new principals danced with a warmth and naturalness that helped mute all the raging kitsch.

With her perfect line and great delicacy of articulation, Tang Min (the Maid) danced the communal choreography beautifully but also humanized it with expressive touches and with a sense of fluidity that few of her colleagues commanded.

Though he smudged the distinctively non-classical port de bras and fumbled some partnering challenges, Ou Lu brought charm and intensity to the role of the Hunter and a sensational command of its spectacular turning leaps and gymnastic kips.

In very slow (and thus extra demanding) excerpts from the Act II duets in “Giselle,” Guo Peihui sustained the mood of yearning as capably as she held notably high extensions--but she also chopped much of the choreography into mechanical phrase-lengths.

As in “Variations for Four” on Saturday, Zhao Minhua (Albrecht) seemed born for danseur noble roles but, again, he proved impressively schooled while insufficiently seasoned--not yet in complete control of a remarkable technical arsenal.

“Three Preludes,” with a previously reviewed cast, completed the program.