Minkus: La Bayadère

Choreographer: Natalia Makarova

Marius Petipa’s exotic ballet, set in legendary India, is a story of love, death and vengeful judgement. Natalia Makarova’s sumptuous recreation of Petipa’s choreography, with atmospheric sets by Pier Luigi Samaritini and beautiful costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend, stars Tamara Rojo as the Bayadère (temple dancer) Nikiya, Carlos Acosta as Solor, and Marianela Nuñez as Gamzatti whose alluring presence challenges Solor’s love for Nikiya. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.

‘There wasn’t a single physical gesture that didn’t mean something, that didn’t speak of love trying and failing to blossom.’ The Daily Telegraph

Extra features:

Tamara Rojo on dancing La Bayadère

Leanne Cope and Francesca Filpi on the corps de ballet

Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta rehearse with Alexander Agadzhanov

Natalia Makarova on choreographing La Bayadère

Region Code All regions

Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic

Sound format 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS

Menu languages EN

Subtitles EN/FR/DE/ES

Choreography by NATALIA MAKAROVA after MARIUS PETIPA

Directed for Stage by OLGA EVREINOFF

Set by PIERLUIGI SAMARITANI

In their series of classical ballet productions from La Scala Arthaus releases a DVD recording of La Bayadére in the choreography by Natalia Makarova. Her version, based on the original 1877 creation by the great master of Russian classical ballet, Marius Petipa has become the standard since the famous Kirov Company made it popular worldwide.

It was filmed at the May 2006 revival of Makarova’s 1992 production for La Scala, Milan, and features two of international ballet’s star dancers – Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle. The Bayadère Nikiya is created by Svetlana Zakharova, a Ukrainian dancer, who grew up in the tradition of St Petersburg’s Maryinsky Ballet and is now one of the youngest ballerinas at Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet and Roberto Bolle, the primo ballerino étoile in the Corpo di ballo del Teatro alla Scala, dances Solor, a brave, young nobleman.

The filming for this DVD recreates the atmosphere of a night at the wonderful La Scala opera house, while providing the viewer with a closer look at the dancers, their interpretation and their artistic endeavours.

Choreography by NATALIA MAKAROVA after MARIUS PETIPA

Directed for Stage by NATALIA MAKAROVA

Set by PIER LUIGI SAMARITANI

La Bayadère was originally choreographed in 1877 by the great master of Russian classical ballet, Marius Petipa and later adapted by the Kirov Ballet. The Kirov version has been re-created by Natalia Makarova and legendary choreography is now available on DVD.

The ballet was first seen outside of Russia in London in 1961 when excerpts of the work were performed as The Kingdom of the Shades. It was during this Kirov Ballet tour that Nureyev defected to the West. Two years later he staged The Kingdom of the Shades for the Royal Ballet. The full-length ballet regained popularity with Nathalia Makarova’s (herself a former Kirov Dancer) sumptuous restaging of the work for the American Ballet Theatre in 1980 and subsequently for The Royal Ballet in 1989. With its two starring ballerina roles, this classic is a perennial favourite of the ballet repertory. This DVD captures the Royal Ballet’s famous 1989 ‚all-stars‘ performance of La Bayadère with the divine Altynai Asylmuratova as Nikiya the much beloved Darcey Bussell, as Gamzatti in one of her first important roles at the Royal Ballet.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Running Time: 123 mins

FSK: 6

Choreographer: Natalia Makarova

Marius Petipa’s exotic ballet, set in legendary India, is a story of love, death and vengeful judgement. Natalia Makarova’s sumptuous recreation of Petipa’s choreography, with atmospheric sets by Pier Luigi Samaritini and beautiful costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend, stars Tamara Rojo as the Bayadère (temple dancer) Nikiya, Carlos Acosta as Solor, and Marianela Nuñez as Gamzatti whose alluring presence challenges Solor’s love for Nikiya. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.

‘There wasn’t a single physical gesture that didn’t mean something, that didn’t speak of love trying and failing to blossom.’ The Daily Telegraph

Extra features:

Tamara Rojo on dancing La Bayadère

Leanne Cope and Francesca Filpi on the corps de ballet

Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta rehearse with Alexander Agadzhanov

Natalia Makarova on choreographing La Bayadère

Running time 166mins

Region Code All regions

Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic

Sound format 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS

Menu languages EN

Subtitles EN/FR/DE/ES

Paris Opera Ballet’s production of La Bayadère, now available on Blu-ray, was recorded in May 1994 at the Palais Garnier in High Definition.

This exceptional and critically acclaimed production of La Bayadère is the fully restored version of this classic Kirov ballet, the last work choreographed for the Paris Opera Ballet by Rudolf Nureyev before his tragic death in 1993.

Breathtaking sets and costumes are designed by Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino in this exceptional production, whose style is a dream of the Orient, of India and the Ottoman Empire, a mixture of different influences. In creating his own version for Paris Opera Ballet, Nureyev made many amendments to the original Kirov Ballet version, and Paris now possesses one of the Kirov’s most precious but least known treasures, in a staging faithful to tradition but refracted through the eyes and thoughts of one of the greatest of that company’s sons. Nureyev long took its glory to the stages of the world and has now passed something of that glory to a generation of younger French dancers who grew up under his tutelage.

SYNOPSIS

Exotic and mysterious India serves as the backdrop to this story of doomed love. The bayadere Nikiya loves the warrior Solor and is loved by him in return. Solor however is obliged to become engaged to Gamzatti, daughter of a Rajah. Gamzatti, aware that Nikiya is her rival, sends her a basket of flowers, concealing a snake. Bitten by it, Nikiya dies, and Solor, driven to despair by her death, takes refuge in opium-induced thoughts. The ghosts of dead bayadères appear to him in the Kingdom of Shades – among them is Nikiya who forgives him.

Also available on DVD 4509968512

Choreography and Staging: Rudolf Nureyev

Sets: Ezio Frigerio

Costumes: Franca Squarciapino

Approx Duration:130 mins

Picture format: NTSC 16:9

Colour

Region Code: All regions

Audio: L-PCM Stereo

Subtitles: None

Choreography and Stage Direction by RUDOLF NUREYEV

Set Design by EZIO FRIGERIO

Costume Design by FRANCA SQUARCIAPINO

Rudolf Nureyev’s version of La Bayadère, which takes up a whole evening, had its premiere at the Palais Garnier in Paris on 8 October 1992. Everybody who was anybody in French ballet and society was present, because after the performance Nureyev was to receive the highest cultural honour France had to bestow, the rank of ‘Commandeur des Arts et Lettres’ of the Legion of Honour. It was one of Nureyev’s last public appearances; he already showed the signs of AIDS and died a few weeks later, on 6 January 1993. La Bayadère proved to be the perfect piece for demonstrating the diverse talents of the Paris company, which had become the best ballet ensemble in the world since Nureyev had been appointed Artistic Director ten years earlier.

Choreography and Staging: Rudolf Nureyev

Sets: Ezio Frigerio

Costumes: Franca Squarciapino

SYNOPSIS

Exotic and mysterious India serves as the backdrop to this story of doomed love. The bayadere Nikiya loves the warrior Solor and is loved by him in return. Solor however is obliged to become engaged to Gamzatti, daughter of a Rajah. Gamzatti, aware that Nikiya is her rival, sends her a basket of flowers, concealing a snake. Bitten by it, Nikiya dies, and Solor, driven to despair by her death, takes refuge in opium-induced thoughts. The ghosts of dead bayadères appear to him in the Kingdom of Shades – among them is Nikiya who forgives him.