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August Bournonville was still dancing for the Royal Danish Ballet when his ballet The Toreador was premiered in 1840; it was seen frequently until 1922, but following its 1929 revival, it passed from the active repertoire. Nearly fifty years ago, in 1966 Flindt needed to reconstruct the ballet, close to completing his direction of the Royal Danish Ballet as few dancers remembered its last performances. Assuming the direction of the Dallas Ballet, Flindt took the production with him; he had expanded Bournonville’s hour-long ballet. A work in the spirit of, rather than an exact update, composer Erling Bjerno took seventeen numbers of Edward Halsted’s music, expanding the score to meet Flindt’s desire to build a two-act ballet; the musical changes provided pas de deux for the principals and variations to fill a second act. Bjerno also worked with Jose de Udaeta, noted Spanish dancer and historian, bringing authenticity to score and dances.

Flindt’s Toreador received its American premiere in 1983 and was danced again in 1986. When Dallas Ballet cancelled its 1988 season and laid off its dancers, The Toreador went into storage. Thirteen months later Dennis Nahat saw the production and the handmade Danish costumes as the former was about to be disbursed; Nahat arranged for two large trucks and drivers to drive to Dallas, thus retrieving the production from imminent loss. Cleveland Ballet’s first performances of the work dated February 21, 1990, followed by its initial San Jose performance March 30, 1990. November 20, 2008 performance was Ballet San Jose’s first performance since 1990. It should be Ballet San Jose’s much-anticipated seven year itch.

Toreador provides small gems for the company’s soloists, jewels for its principals. Predating Petipa’s Don Quixote easily a decade, Maria, an innkeeper’s daughter, is betrothed to Toreador Alonzo when Mlle Celeste, the Parisian ballerina, arrives with luggage entourage and Mama Finard. Celeste arouses the interest not only of Alonzo but also of Messrs Williams and Arthur, young Englishmen on the Grand Tour. Karen Gabay danced Maria, Maykel Solas Alonzo, Alexsandra Meijer Celeste and Mama Finard Roni Mahler. The English Mutt and Jeff team were provided by Maximo Califano and Ramon Moreno, while Dwight Gwatkin filed the role of Jose, the Innkeeper; Preston Dugger and Mirai Noda sparkled in the junior support as Pedro and Paquita.

Both Englishmen fall for Celeste who dances a La Sylphide type solo for the inn regulars; Maria and Alonzo quarrel with castenets on his attentiveness to the blonde visitor; also falling for Celeste, the two Englishmen vie for her hand; William wins. Arthur stays cheerful. The denouement, however, is not so swift that it prevents the entire cast from wielding castanets, from corps to San Jose Ballet’s students; their liveliness evoke the student participation in the Royal Danish Ballet, impressive sight, impressive collective sound.

Flindt, of course, replicates the Bournonville ballon wherever appropriate and employs mime clearly understood by gesture and body language. There are multiple character roles which I hope each dancer relished assuming; its implausible mixture enjoyed unquestionable richness in portraiture. Karen Gabay danced Maria, a role first assumed in 1990; Maykel Solas was a short, dynamic Alonzo, allegro and ballon consistent with Bournonville technical demands. Alexsandra Meijer projected the romantic French ballerina looking for fun, but still decorous and demure with Roni Mahler a warm, perhaps indulgent Maman, but also correct.

Califano’s William is one of his better roles; he rises to a role with plot, and the full trousers cloaked his rudimentary turnout. Le Mai Linh had a brief opportunity in the Basque Dance to demonstrate his musical clarity.

Ramon Moreno gave us an Arthur whom Brooke Byrne described as Massine doing Chaplin. He made one long to see him as Alain in La Fille Mal Gardee, and, should it be possible, the Husband or another major character in Jerome Robbins’ The Concert. Moreno obviously found his assignment a pleasure; he remained in character during curtain calls. I might add, Moreno was the only one.