La Bayadère
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''La Bayadère'' ("the temple dancer") ( ru. «Баядерка», ''Bayaderka'') is a
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer
Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters an ...
to the music of
Ludwig Minkus Ludwig Minkus (russian: link=no, Людвиг Минкус), also known as Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (23 March 1826, Vienna – 7 December 1917, Vienna), was a Jewish-Austrian composer of ballet music, a violin virtuoso and teacher. Minkus is no ...
. The ballet was staged especially for the benefit performance of the Russian ''
Prima ballerina A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on ye ...
''
Ekaterina Vazem Yekaterina Ottovna Vazem (born Matilda Vazem; russian: Екатери́на Отто́вна Ва́зем; 25 January 1848, Moscow – 14 December 1937, Leningrad) aka Ekaterina Vazemwas a Russian prima ballerina and instructor, whose most noted ...
, who created the principal role of Nikiya. ''La Bayadère'' was first presented by the
Imperial Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...
at the
Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre The Saint Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (The Big Stone Theatre of Saint Petersburg, russian: Большой Каменный Театр) was a theatre in Saint Petersburg. It was built in 1783 to Antonio Rinaldi's Neoclassical ...
in
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, on . From the first performance the ballet was universally hailed by contemporary critics as one of the choreographer Petipa's supreme masterpieces, particularly the scene from the ballet known as ''The Kingdom of the Shades'', which became one of the most celebrated pieces in all of classical ballet. By the turn of the 20th century, ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' scene was regularly extracted from the full-length work as an independent showpiece, and it has remained so to the present day. Nearly all modern versions of ''La Bayadère'' are derived from the Kirov Ballet's production of 1941, which was a severely redacted edition staged by
Vakhtang Chabukiani Vakhtang Mikheilis dze Chabukiani (Russian: Вахта́нг Миха́йлович Чабукиа́ни, ka, ვახტანგ ჭაბუკიანი) (March 12, 1910 – April 6, 1992) was a Soviet and Georgian ballet dancer, choreogra ...
and Vladimir Ponomarev in Leningrad in 1941.
Natalia Makarova Natalia Romanovna Makarova (russian: Ната́лия Рома́новна Мака́рова, born 21 November 1940) is a Russian prima ballerina and choreographer. ''The History of Dance'', published in 1981, notes that "her performances set ...
's 1980 production of ''La Bayadère'' for
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
was the first full-length production to find a permanent place in the repertories of western ballet troupes, having been staged by several theatres throughout the world. Makarova's version is itself derived from Chabukiani and Ponomarev's 1941 redaction for the Mariinsky Theatre.


Origins

''La Bayadère'' was the creation of the dramatist Sergei Khudekov and of Marius Petipa, the renowned '' Premier maître de ballet'' of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. The music was composed by Ludwig Minkus, who from 1871 until 1886 held the official post of ''Ballet Composer to the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres''.


Plot outline

Khudekov's libretto for ''La Bayadère'' (meaning ''The Temple Dancer'' or ''The Temple Maiden'') tells the story of the ''bayadère'' Nikiya and the warrior Solor, who have sworn eternal fidelity to one another. The High Brahmin, however, is also in love with Nikiya and learns of her relationship with Solor. Moreover, the Rajah Dugmanta of
Golconda Fort (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, romanized: ''Gōlkōnḍa'') is a historic fortress and ruined city located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was originally called Mankal. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparu ...
has selected Solor to wed his daughter Gamzatti (or Hamsatti, as she is known in the original production), and Nikiya, unaware of this arrangement, agrees to dance at the couple's betrothal celebrations. In his effort to have Solor killed and have Nikiya for himself, the jealous High Brahmin informs the Rajah that the warrior has already vowed eternal love to Nikiya over a sacred fire. But the High Brahmin's plan backfires when, rather than becoming angry with Solor, the Rajah decides that it is Nikiya who must die. Gamzatti, who has eavesdropped on this exchange, summons Nikiya to the palace in an attempt to bribe the bayadère into giving up her beloved. As their rivalry intensifies, Nikiya picks up a dagger in a fit of rage and attempts to kill Gamzatti, only to be stopped in the nick of time by Gamzatti's ayah. Nikiya flees in horror at what she has almost done. As did her father, Gamzatti vows that the bayadère must die. At the betrothal celebrations Nikiya performs a somber dance while playing her
veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( sa, वीणा IAST: vīṇā), comprises various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.< ...
. She is then given a basket of flowers which she believes are from Solor, and begins a frenzied and joyous dance. Little does she know that the basket is from Gamzatti, who has concealed beneath the flowers a venomous snake. The ''bayadère'' then holds the basket too close and the serpent bites her on the neck. The High Brahmin offers Nikiya an antidote to the poison, but she chooses death rather than life without her beloved Solor. In the next scene the depressed Solor smokes
opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...
. In his dream-like euphoria he has a vision of Nikiya's shade (or spirit) in a
nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
among the star-lit mountain peaks of the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
called ''The Kingdom of the Shades''. Here, the lovers reconcile among the shades of other ''bayadères''. (In the original 1877 production, this scene took place in an illuminated enchanted palace in the sky.) When Solor awakes, preparations are underway for his wedding to Gamzatti. In the temple where the wedding is to take place the shade of Nikiya haunts Solor as he dances with Gamzatti. When the High Brahmin joins the couple's hands in marriage, the gods take revenge for Nikiya's murder by destroying the temple and all of its occupants. In an apotheosis, the shades of both Nikiya and Solor are reunited in death and eternal love.


Early productions

''La Bayadère'' was created especially for the benefit performance of
Ekaterina Vazem Yekaterina Ottovna Vazem (born Matilda Vazem; russian: Екатери́на Отто́вна Ва́зем; 25 January 1848, Moscow – 14 December 1937, Leningrad) aka Ekaterina Vazemwas a Russian prima ballerina and instructor, whose most noted ...
, ''Prima ballerina'' of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. The role of Solor was created by the forty-three-year-old
Lev Ivanov Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (russian: link=no, Лев Ива́нович Ива́нов; 2 March 1834, Moscow – 24 December 1901, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet. ...
, ''Premier danseur'' of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres, with the classical dances of the character Solor being performed by the younger
Pavel Gerdt Pavel Andreyevich Gerdt (russian: Па́вел Андре́евич Ге́рдт), also known as Paul Gerdt (near Saint Petersburg, Russia, 22 November 1844 – Vamaloki, Finland, 12 August 1917), was the ''Premier Danseur Noble'' of the Imperial ...
. The celebrated ballerina Maria Gorshenkova created the role of Gamzatti (or Hamsatti, as the character was known in the original production), while the role of the High Brahmin was created by Nikolai Golts. Dugmanta, the Rajah of Golconda was created by
Christian Johansson Pehr Christian Johansson (1 June 1817 – 12 December 1903) was a teacher, choreographer and balletmaster for the Russian Imperial Ballet. He was engaged at the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1829-41, and at the Imperial Russian Ballet in 1841-66. ...
, former ''Premier danseur'' of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres and an influential teacher. The lavish décor was designed by Mikhail Bocharov for Act I-scene 1;
Matvei Shishkov Matvei or Matvey is the Russian language variation of Matthew. Notable people with the name include: * Matvei Blanter (1903–1990), Russian composer of popular and film music * Matvei Petrovich Bronstein (1906–1938), Soviet theoretical physici ...
for Act I-scene 2 and Act II; Ivan Andreyev for Act III-scene 1 and Act IV-scene 1;
Heinrich Wagner Heinrich Wagner (9 August 1888, Hamburg – 24 June 1959, Hamburg) was a German chess master. In 1920/21, he won in Kiel. In 1921, he took 8th in Hamburg (the 21st DSB Congress, Erhardt Post won), and won in Hamburg (''Quadrangular''). ...
for Act III-scene 2 ''The Kingdom of the Shades''; and Piotr Lambin for the Act IV-scene 2 Apotheosis. Petipa spent almost six months staging ''La Bayadère''. During rehearsals, Petipa clashed with the ''Prima ballerina'' Vazem over the matter of her entrance in the ballet's final ''
Grand pas d'action In ballet, a grand pas (; literally, big or large step) is a suite of dances that serves as a showpiece for lead dancers, demi-soloists, and in some cases the corps de ballet. It usually consists of an ''entrée'' (introduction), a ''grand adage ...
'', while also experiencing many problems with the set designers who constructed the ballet's elaborate stage effects. Petipa was also worried that his new work would play to an empty house, as the Imperial Theatre's Director Baron Karl Kister increased the ticket prices to be higher than that of the Italian Opera, which at that time were expensive. The most celebrated and enduring passage of ''La Bayadère'' was Petipa's grand vision scene known as ''The Kingdom of the Shades''. Petipa staged this scene as a ''Grand pas classique'', completely devoid of any dramatic action. His simple and academic choreography was to become one of his most celebrated compositions, with the ''Sortie des bayadères'' of the thirty-two member ''Corps de ballet'' of shades arguably becoming his most celebrated composition of all. Petipa's final revival of ''La Bayadère'' was first given on especially for the dual benefit performance of the Imperial Theatre's ''Premier danseur''
Pavel Gerdt Pavel Andreyevich Gerdt (russian: Па́вел Андре́евич Ге́рдт), also known as Paul Gerdt (near Saint Petersburg, Russia, 22 November 1844 – Vamaloki, Finland, 12 August 1917), was the ''Premier Danseur Noble'' of the Imperial ...
and the ''Prima ballerina''
Mathilde Kschessinskaya Mathilde-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinska ( pl, Matylda Maria Krzesińska, russian: Матильда Феликсовна Кшесинская; 6 December 1971; also known as Princess Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya after her marriage) was a Polish ...
. Among Petipa's changes for this revival was the re-setting of the scene ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' from an enchanted castle in the sky on a fully lighted stage, to a dark and rocky setting on the peaks of the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
. Petipa increased the number of dancers in the ''Corps de ballet'' from thirty-two to forty-eight, making the illusion of descending spirits all the more effective in the famous ''Sortie des bayadères''. In March 1903, the scene ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' was performed independently during a gala performance at
Peterhof Palace The Peterhof Palace ( rus, Петерго́ф, Petergóf, p=pʲɪtʲɪrˈɡof,) (an emulation of early modern Dutch language, Dutch "Pieterhof", meaning "Pieter's Court"), is a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, Saint Petersbur ...
in honor of a state visit from
Kaiser Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and List of monarchs of Prussia, King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication on 9 ...
. This is the earliest known occasion where the scene ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' was performed as an independent concert piece.


Vaganova's revival

On December 13, 1932 the great pedagogue of the Soviet Ballet
Agrippina Vaganova Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova (russian: Агриппина Яковлевна Ваганова; 26 June 1879 – 5 November 1951) was a Soviet and Russian ballet teacher who developed the Vaganova method – the technique which derived from the t ...
presented her version of ''La Bayadère'' for the Kirov Ballet (the former Imperial Ballet). Vaganova revised the ballerina's dances for her star pupil Marina Semenova, who danced Nikiya. This included triple pirouettes ''sur la pointe'' (on the toes), and fast piqué turns en dehors. Although Vaganova's revival did not find a permanent place in the repertory, her modifications to the Ballerina's dances would become the standard.


The Kirov Ballet's revival of 1941

In 1940 the Kirov Ballet once again made plans to revive ''La Bayadère'', this time in a staging by the Balletmaster Vladimir Ponomarev and the ''Premier danseur''
Vakhtang Chabukiani Vakhtang Mikheilis dze Chabukiani (Russian: Вахта́нг Миха́йлович Чабукиа́ни, ka, ვახტანგ ჭაბუკიანი) (March 12, 1910 – April 6, 1992) was a Soviet and Georgian ballet dancer, choreogra ...
. This version would be the definitive staging of ''La Bayadère'' from which nearly every subsequent production would be based. The Ponomarev/Chabukiani revival of ''La Bayadère'' premiered on February 10, 1941 to a resounding success, with
Natalia Dudinskaya Natalia Mikhailovna Dudinskaya (russian: Ната́лия Миха́йловна Дуди́нская; , in Kharkiv – 29 January 2003, in Saint Petersburg) was a Soviet prima ballerina who dominated the Kirov Ballet from the 1930s to the 1950 ...
as Nikiya and
Vakhtang Chabukiani Vakhtang Mikheilis dze Chabukiani (Russian: Вахта́нг Миха́йлович Чабукиа́ни, ka, ვახტანგ ჭაბუკიანი) (March 12, 1910 – April 6, 1992) was a Soviet and Georgian ballet dancer, choreogra ...
as Solor. The choreography for the character of Nikiya went through a renaissance in when performed by the virtuoso ballerina Dudinskaya, whose revisions to the choreography remain the standard. Although her interpretation of the tragic Nikiya was looked on as unsuitable for the stellar ballerina, she nevertheless excelled in ''The Kingdom of the Shades'', where Petipa's strict academic patterns prevailed. In the ''Variation de Nikiya'' (often referred to as the ''Scarf Duet'') Ponomarev and Chabukiani changed the original staging of Petipa – originally, this variation called for Nikiya to perform her variation alone, with a long veil connected by wire to a fly-space above the stage, with the veil flying upward upon the final moments of the variation. The variation was changed so that Solor would now hold one end of the veil as Nikiya danced, departing the stage half-way through her solo offstage. Dudinskaya studded the choreography with multiple tours en arabesque, and included, for the first time, airy splits in her Grand jetés during the ''Entrée de Nikiya'', as well as adding fast piqué turns in the ''Grand coda''. The choreography for Solor went through a renaissance as well with the great ''Premier danseur'' Chabukiani in the role. Although the dances for the role of Solor had become far more prominent since ''La Bayadère'' had been performed in Imperial Russia, Chabukiani's revisions to the choreography would become the standard for all proceeding male dancers. In 1977, the Kirov Ballet's 1941 Ponomarev/Chabukiani production of ''La Bayadère'' was filmed and later released onto DVD/video with
Gabriella Komleva Gabriella may refer to: * Gabriella (given name), a feminine given name * ''Gabriella di Vergy'', an opera seria by Gaetano Donizetti (1826, revised 1838), and an opera by Mercadante (1828), based on the tragedy ''Gabrielle de Vergy'' by Dormont De ...
as Nikiya, Tatiana Terekhova as Gamzatti, and Rejen Abdeyev as Solor.


La Bayadère in the West

Although ''La Bayadère'' was considered a classic in Russia, the work was almost completely unknown in the west. The first western production of the scene ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' was mounted by Eugenia Feodorova at the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It premiered on April 12, 1961 with Bertha Rosanova as Nikiya and Aldo Lotufo as Solor. But it was to be the Kirov Ballet's performance of ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' at the Palais Garnier in Paris on July 4, 1961 that roused widespread interest in this almost totally unknown ballet from the Imperial/Petipa repertory. Two years later,
Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...
staged the scene for the
Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
with
Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...
as Nikiya. Minkus's music was re-orchestrated by the Royal Opera House's composer/conductor
John Lanchbery John Arthur Lanchbery OBE (15 May 1923 – 27 February 2003) was an English-Australian composer and conductor, famous for his ballet arrangements. He served as the Principal Conductor of the Royal Ballet from 1959 to 1972, Principal Conductor ...
. The premiere was a resounding success, and is considered to be among the most important moments in the history of ballet. The dance critic
Arlene Croce Arlene Louise Croce (born May 5, 1934) founded '' Ballet Review'' magazine in 1965. She was a dance critic for ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1973 to 1998. Career Prior to Croce's long career as a dance writer, she also wrote film criticis ...
commented on Petipa's ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' in her review of Makarova's staging of the scene in ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'': Nureyev's version of ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' was also staged by Eugen Valukin for the
National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca as the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
, premiering on March 27, 1967. The first full-length production of ''La Bayadère'' was staged by the Balletmistress Natalie Conus for the
Iranian National Ballet Company The Iranian National Ballet Company ( fa, سازمان باله ملی ایران) was Iran's only state ballet institution until the Islamic revolution of 1979 and also the most known and recognized of all dance companies in the Middle East. It ...
in 1972, in a production based almost entirely on the 1941 Ponomarev/Chabukiani production for the Kirov Ballet. For this production Minkus' score was orchestrated from a piano reduction by Robin Barker. The National Ballet of Panama's debut performance was ''La Bayadère'' (1972), the principal dancers were
Teresa Mann Teresa Mann (2 September 1934 in Panama City, Panama – 6 July 2017) was a Panamanian Ballet dancer, ballerina, ballet teacher and dance pioneer. She was a founding member of the Ballet Nacional de Panama and its lead dancer until 1983. She w ...
, Ginela Vazquez, Armando Villamil, Nitzia Cucalon, Raisa Gutierrez and Alejandro Lugo.


Natalia Makarova’s production

In 1974
Natalia Makarova Natalia Romanovna Makarova (russian: Ната́лия Рома́новна Мака́рова, born 21 November 1940) is a Russian prima ballerina and choreographer. ''The History of Dance'', published in 1981, notes that "her performances set ...
mounted ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' for
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
in New York City, being the first staging of any part of ''La Bayadère'' in the United States. In 1980 Makarova staged her own version of the full-length work for the company, based largely on the Ponomarev/Chabukiani version she danced during her career with the Kirov Ballet. Makarova's production premiered on May 21, 1980 at the Metropolitan Opera House, and was shown live on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
during the ''Live from Lincoln Center'' broadcast. Makarova danced the role of Nikiya herself, but was replaced by Marianna Tcherkassky due to an injury during the first act. The principal roles included
Anthony Dowell Sir Anthony James Dowell (born 16 February 1943) is a retired British ballet dancer and a former artistic director of the Royal Ballet. He is widely recognized as one of the great ''danseurs nobles'' of the twentieth century. Early life and tra ...
as Solor,
Cynthia Harvey Cynthia Harvey (born May 17, 1957) is an American former ballet dancer, ballet mistress and educator. She joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1974 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1982. In 1986, she joined The Royal Ballet, beco ...
as Gamzatti,
Alexander Minz Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
as the High Brahmin and Victor Barbee as the Rajah. The décor was designed by
Pier Luigi Samaritani image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
, with costumes by
Theoni V. Aldredge Theoni V. Aldredge (August 22, 1922 – January 21, 2011) was a Greek-American stage and screen costume designer. Biography Born Theoni Athanasiou Vachliotis in Thessaloniki in 1922, Aldredge received her training at the American School in Athe ...
and lighting by Toshiro Ogawa. The premiere was a triumph for American Ballet Theatre, and the company has performed it consistently ever since. In 1989, Makarova staged her version of ''La Bayadère'' for the
Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
in a totally un-changed production, including copies of Samaritani's designs for the décor, and new costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend. In 1990 her production was filmed, and later shown on PBS in 1994 and later released onto DVD/Video. The cast included
Altynai Asylmuratova Altynai Abduakhimkyzy Asylmuratova ( kk, Алтынай Абдуахимқызы Асылмұратова, ''Altynai Abduahimqyzy Asylmūratova''; born 1 January 1961) is a Kazakh-born former ballerina who is artistic director of the ballet co ...
as Nikiya,
Darcey Bussell Dame Darcey Andrea Bussell, (born Marnie Mercedes Darcey Pemberton Crittle; 27 April 1969) is an English retired ballerina and a former judge on the BBC television dance contest ''Strictly Come Dancing''. Trained at the Arts Educational Sc ...
as Gamzatti and
Irek Mukhamedov Irek Dzhavdatovich Mukhamedov OBE (russian: Ирек Джавдатович Мухамедов: tt-Cyrl, Ирек Җәүдәт улы Мөхәммәтев; born 8 March 1960), is a Soviet-born British ballet dancer of Tatar origin who has danced ...
as Solor. Makarova has since staged her production for many companies throughout the world, including the Ballet of La Scala (who have recently filmed their production and released it onto DVD), the
Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direc ...
, the
Polish National Ballet The Polish National Ballet (PNB) is the largest and the most important ballet company in Poland. It continues a national ballet heritage, which dates to the 17th century. Modernly it was known until 2008 as the ballet of the Teatr Wielki - Poli ...
, the Stanislavsky Ballet in Moscow and the
Royal Swedish Ballet The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this fi ...
.


Rudolf Nureyev's production

In late 1991,
Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...
, artistic director of the
Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded ...
, began making plans for a revival of the full-length ''La Bayadère'', to be derived from the traditional Ponomarev/Chabukiani version he danced during his career with the Kirov Ballet. Nureyev enlisted the assistance of his friend and colleague
Ninel Kurgapkina Ninel Aleksandrovna Kurgapkina (russian: Нинель Александровна Кургапкина; 13 February 1929, Leningrad – 10 May 2009, Beloostrov) was a Soviet and Russian dance teacher and former prima ballerina for the Kirov Ball ...
, former ''Prima Ballerina'' of the Kirov Ballet, to assist in staging the work. The administration of the
Paris Opéra The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...
knew that this production of ''La Bayadère'' would be Nureyev's last offering to the world, as his health was deteriorating more and more from advanced
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
disease. Because of this, the cultural administration of the Paris Opéra gave the production an enormous budget, with even more funding coming from various private donations. Nureyev called upon the Italian opera designer Ezio Frigerio to create the décor, and his wife, opera designer Franca Squarciapino, to create the ballet's costumes. Frigerio took inspiration from the
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
and the architecture of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, as well as drawings of the original décor used for Petipa's 1877 production – Frigerio called his designs "a dream of the Orient through Eastern-European eyes". Squarciapino's costume designs were inspired by ancient Persian and Indian paintings, with elaborate head-dresses and hats, colorful shimmering fabrics, and traditional Indian garb, with much of the materials coming from Parisian boutiques that imported directly from India. Nureyev's production of ''La Bayadère'' was presented for the first time at the Palais Garnier (or the Paris Opéra) on October 8, 1992, with Isabelle Guérin as Nikiya,
Laurent Hilaire Laurent Hilaire (born 8 November 1962) is a French ballet dancer. Regarded as one of the greatest dancers to emerge from ballet over the past few decades, he was an '' étoile'' of the Paris Opera Ballet for 22 years. From 2011, he was the assoc ...
as Solor, and Élisabeth Platel as Gamzatti (and was later filmed in 1994 and released onto DVD/video with the same cast). The theatre was filled with many of the most prominent people of the ballet world, along with throngs of newspaper and television reporters from around the world. The production was a resounding success, with Nureyev being honored with the prestigious
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...
from the French Minister of Culture. The premiere of Nureyev's production was a special occasion for many in the world of ballet, as only three months later he died. The danseur
Laurent Hilaire Laurent Hilaire (born 8 November 1962) is a French ballet dancer. Regarded as one of the greatest dancers to emerge from ballet over the past few decades, he was an '' étoile'' of the Paris Opera Ballet for 22 years. From 2011, he was the assoc ...
later commented on Nureyev's revival:


Sergei Vikharev's production

In 2000 the
Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...
began mounting a new production of Petipa's 1900 revival of ''La Bayadère''. The choreographer
Sergei Vikharev Sergei Vikharev (Russian: Сергей Геннадьевич Вихарев) (15 February 1962 – 2 June 2017) was a Russian ballet dancer, choreographer and historian. Biography Sergei Vikharev was born in Saint Petersburg and trained at the ...
made use of the Stepanov Choreographic Notation from the
Sergeyev Collection The Sergeyev Collection is a collection of choreographic notation, musical materials, designs for décor and costumes, theatre programs, photos and other items that document the repertory of the Mariinsky Ballet, Imperial Ballet (precursor of the K ...
to assist on mounting the choreography. The production included the long deleted final act, which included the lost ''Danse des fleurs de lotus'' (''Dance of the Lotus Blossoms'') and Petipa's original ''Grand Pas d'action'', which up to that point had been performed during the second act in a revised edition from 1941 as staged by Vladimir Ponomarev and Vakhtang Chabukiani. In spite of the fact that the production was billed as a "reconstruction", Vikharev retained nearly all of the Soviet-era choreography. For the majority of the 20th century Minkus's original score for ''La Bayadère'' was thought to have been lost. Unbeknownst to the company, the
Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...
's music library had in their possession two volumes of Minkus's complete, hand-written score of 1877, as well as three manuscript rehearsal répétiteurs in arrangement for two violins, which included many notes for ballet masters and performers. Sergei Vikharev commented on the restoration of Minkus's score: The Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet opened the 10th International Stars of the White Nights Festival with their reconstruction of ''La Bayadère'' at the Mariinsky Theatre on May 31, 2002, with Daria Pavlenko as Nikiya, Elvira Tarasova as Gamzatti, and
Igor Kolb Igor Kolb (born June 6, 1977 in Pinsk, Belarus) is a principal dancer of Mariinsky Ballet. He graduated Byelorussia State Ballet School, and joined Mariinsky ballet in 1996. He became a soloist in 1998, and promoted to principal dancer in 2003. He ...
as Solor. The production received a mixed reaction from the St. Petersburg audience, which largely comprised the most prominent persons of the Russian ballet. The celebrated Ballerina of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet
Altynai Asylmuratova Altynai Abduakhimkyzy Asylmuratova ( kk, Алтынай Абдуахимқызы Асылмұратова, ''Altynai Abduahimqyzy Asylmūratova''; born 1 January 1961) is a Kazakh-born former ballerina who is artistic director of the ballet co ...
was seen weeping after the performance, allegedly because of her shock at seeing the ballet presented in this way. When the company included the production on their tours, it caused a sensation around the world, particularly in New York and London. To date the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet only perform the Vikharev production on special occasions.


Stanton Welch's production

Stanton Welch Stanton De Burgh Welch (born 1969) is an Australian dancer and choreographer. He currently serves as the Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet. Early life Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch, two prominent Australian ...
created his version of ''La Bayadère'' for the
Houston Ballet Houston Ballet, operated by Houston Ballet Foundation, is a professional ballet company based in Houston, Texas. The company, consisting of 59 dancers, produces over 85 performances per year. History Tatiana Semenova (1955–1967) Houston dev ...
's 40th season in 2010, with Sara Webb as Nikiya, Connor Walsh as Solor, James Gotesky as the priest and Kelly Myernick as Gamzatti. The set and costumes were designed by Peter Farmer to give an Indian,
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
, look. Welch worked with live snakes during the preparation and they were used in the production.
John Lanchbery John Arthur Lanchbery OBE (15 May 1923 – 27 February 2003) was an English-Australian composer and conductor, famous for his ballet arrangements. He served as the Principal Conductor of the Royal Ballet from 1959 to 1972, Principal Conductor ...
's arrangement of the music by Ludwig Minkus was further modified by Ermanno Florio, the music director of the Houston Ballet Orchestra. Welch's version was the first full production of ''La Bayadère'' to be staged in Australia, by
The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direct ...
in 2014, with Leanne Stojmenov as Nikiya,
Kevin Jackson Kevin Andre Jackson (born November 25, 1964 in Highland Falls, New York) is an American retired freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, and mixed martial artist. Following his competitive career, Jackson would become a wrestling coach. During his i ...
as Solor and Laura Tong as Gamzatti. Reviewer Michaela Marshall notes particularly the performance of the corps de ballet in the ''Kingdom of the Shades'' scene which is danced in the traditional short white tutus.


Other productions

Among other notable productions is Vladimir Malakhov's staging of La Bayadère for
Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August S ...
in 1999 and for Staatsballett Berlin in 2002.


Ekaterina Vazem on the first production of 'La Bayadère'

Here is an account by
Ekaterina Vazem Yekaterina Ottovna Vazem (born Matilda Vazem; russian: Екатери́на Отто́вна Ва́зем; 25 January 1848, Moscow – 14 December 1937, Leningrad) aka Ekaterina Vazemwas a Russian prima ballerina and instructor, whose most noted ...
, ''Soloist of His Imperial Majesty and Prima Ballerina of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres'', on the first production of ''La Bayadère''.. Possibly found also i
this article


References


Sources

*American Ballet Theatre. Program for Natalia Makarova's production of ''La Bayadère''. Metropolitan Opera House, 2000. *Beaumont, Cyril. ''Complete Book Of Ballets''. *Croce, Arlene. Review titled "Makarova's Miracle", written August 19, 1974, republished in ''Writing in the Dark, Dancing in 'The New Yorker (2000) p. 57. *Greskovic, Robert. ''Ballet 101''. *Guest, Ivor. CD Liner Notes. Léon Minkus, arr. John Lanchbery. ''La Bayadère''. Richard Bonynge Cond. English Chamber Orchestra. Decca 436 917-2. *Hall, Coryne. ''Imperial Dancer: Mathilde Kschessinska and the Romanovs''. *Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. ''Yearbook of the Imperial Theatres 1900–1901''. St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. 1901. *Kschessinskaya, Mathilde Felixovna (Princess Romanovsky-Krassinsky). ''Dancing in St. Petersburg – The Memoirs of Kschessinska''. Trans. Arnold Haskell. *Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet. Souvenir program for the reconstruction of Petipa's 1900 revival of ''La Bayadère''. Mariinsky Theatre, 2002. *Petipa, Marius. ''The Diaries of Marius Petipa''. Trans. and Ed. Lynn Garafola. Published in ''Studies in Dance History.'' 3.1 (Spring 1992). *Petipa, Marius. ''Memuary Mariusa Petipa solista ego imperatorskogo velichestva i baletmeistera imperatorskikh teatrov'' (''The Memoirs of Marius Petipa, Soloist of His Imperial Majesty and Ballet Master of the Imperial Theatres''). *Royal Ballet. Program for Natalia Makarova's production of ''La Bayadère''. Royal Opera House, 1990. *Stegemann, Michael. CD Liner notes. Trans.
Lionel Salter Lionel Salter (8 September 1914 – 1 March 2000) was an English pianist, conductor, writer and administrator who had a long association with the British Broadcasting Corporation.Sadie, Stanley, rev. Jon Stroop. 'Salter, Lionel (Paul)' in ''Gr ...
. Léon Minkus. ''Paquita & La Bayadère.'' Boris Spassov Cond. Sofia National Opera Orchestra. Capriccio 10 544. *Vazem, Ekaterina Ottovna. ''Ekaterina Ottovna Vazem – Memoirs of a Ballerina of the St. Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, 1867–1884''. Trans. Roland John Wiley. *Wiley, Roland John. ''Dances from Russia: An Introduction to the Sergeyev Collection'' Published in ''The Harvard Library Bulletin,'' 24.1 January 1976. *Wiley, Roland John, ed. and translator. ''A Century of Russian Ballet: Documents and Eyewitness Accounts 1810–1910''. *Wiley, Roland John. ''Tchaikovsky's Ballets''.


External links


La Bayadère
– Rudolf Nureyev Foundation
Why The Royal Ballet love performing La Bayadère
– Royal Ballet {{DEFAULTSORT:Bayadere, La Ballets by Marius Petipa Ballets by Ludwig Minkus 1877 ballet premieres Ballets premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre, Saint Petersburg