OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS ''LA BAYADERE"

In this centenary year of the death of Marius Petipa, the Paris Opera Ballet is celebrating the choreographer with performances of " La Bayadere",a seminal work that entered the receptoire in 1992 in Rudolph Nureyev's version.

First performed at Saint Petersburg's Bolshoi Theatre in 1877, this ballet was one of Marius Petipa's greatest successes. "La Bayadere" has been restaged and revived by Rudolph Nureyev(1992) for the Paris Opera Ballet as a last work choreographed during his tenure as the company's Artistic Director from 1983.

Until 1980,"La Bayadere" a ballet that was over a century old and had been continuously performed in Russia had never been in the West. A well-kept secret in Russia for so long,''La Bayadere" has now claimed its rightful place in the ballet repertory and is certainly one of the most important in the history of 19th century.

This spellbinding Oriental fresco,richy atmospheric tale of romance, betrayal, intrigue and vengeance,takes us to an imaginary India that although sometimes savage and cruel,is nonetheless the place where le plus doux reve triumphs.

Librettist Sergei Khudekov

Composer Ludwig Minkus

First choreography by Marius Petipa

Restaged and revived by Rudolph Nureyev

We were happy to attend and enjoy the performance of "La Bayadere"on Saturday 22 May 2010, at the Opera National De Paris.

Woman's Voice