La Bayadère
Set in Royal India, Nikiya, a temple dancer or bayadère, is in love with a noble warrior, Solor. However, Solor soon forgets his vows of love to Nikiya when the Rajah decides to marry his daughter, Gamzatti to Solor and he is overwhelmed by her beauty. The Rajah learns of Solor and Nikiya’s love from the High Brahmin, who is also in love with her, and the Rajah decides to have the bayadère killed. Gamzatti tries to persuade Nikiya to give up Solor, but she refuses. Gamzatti decides also to have the bayadère killed after she is attacked by Nikiya.
At the betrothal celebrations to Solor and Gamzatti, Nikiya dances. After being bitten by a poisonous snake that was hidden in a basket of flowers sent by Gamzatti and the Rajah, Solor sees a vision of Nikiya in the ‘Kingdom of the Shades’. He tries to reach for her but she disappears. At his wedding he sees again a vision of Nikiya and at the ceremony he mistakenly says his vows to her, instead of his bride-to-be. The gods made angry by Nikiya’s murder destroy the temple and kill everyone in it.
Nikiya and Solor are united in the afterlife in eternal love.
Interesting facts
- Another beautiful ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa, it was first performed in 1877 by the Imperial Ballet in St Petersburg.
- ‘La Bayadère’ was first seen outside Russia (performed by the Kirov Ballet) in London in 1961.
- The word bayadère comes from the Portuguese word ballar, meaning dance.
