La Bayadère

Ballet in three acts | Music by Ludwig Minkus | Libretto by  Marius Petipa and Sergei Khudekov | Live in cinemas from the “Stars of  the White Nights Festival” on Monday 14 July       

The premiere of La Bayadère in 1877 was a triumph for Marius  Petipa, and this success has accompanied the ballet throughout its  theatrical life. The sad love story of the noble warrior Solor and the  temple dancer Nikia, who is poisoned by her rival, Princess Gamzatti,  formed the basis for Petipa’s grand spectacle. La Bayadère is a  picturesque, 19th century encyclopaedia of India; cool temples in the  shade of palm-trees, majestic palace walls, frenetic fakirs flagellating  themselves during sacred dances, lithe dancers, colourful veils,  elephants, cobras and opium hookahs. This Indian exoticism was created,  however, using conventional ballet techniques of the nineteenth century.  The decorative luxuriance of the first two acts contrasts with the  third – the “white” act of the Shades – a triumph of virtuoso classical  dance.      

Source: Telmondis

More information: www.telmondis.com