New National Theatre Tokyo 4 May 2024 - La Bayadère | GoComGo.com

La Bayadère

New National Theatre Tokyo, Opera Palace, Tokyo, Japan
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1 PM 6:30 PM

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Important Info
Type: Ballet
City: Tokyo, Japan
Starts at: 13:00
Intervals: 1
Duration: 2h 45min

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Overview

La Bayadère premiered at the NNTT in November 2000, and was the first of the ballets to be produced with revised choreography by the artistic director of the time, Maki Asami. Its production had all the formal beauty of classical ballet, with spectacular, rapid stage transformations and lush stage art with deep oriental shades.

These qualities gave the production an originality not seen in the original version, and made it a great success. This work offers not only classical ballet's unique beauty, such as an astounding dream scene with the Shades slowly dancing down a three-tier, winding slope, but also captivating drama among the characters. The story features complex and dramatic human relationships between Nikiya, the temple dancer with a subtle inner strength, her lover Solor, who serves the Rajah, Gamzatti, the king's daughter who loves Solor, and the High Brahmin, who also loves Nikiya. At the end of the story, the temple collapses in a thunderous roar, and Nikiya and Solor emerge from the ruins and ascend to the heavens in a scene of breath-taking beauty.

History
Premiere of this production: 23 January 1877, Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia

La Bayadère (en. The Temple Dancer) is a ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. The ballet was staged especially for the benefit performance of the Russian Prima ballerina Ekaterina Vazem, who created the principal role of Nikiya.

Synopsis

Set in the Royal India of the past, La Bayadère is a story of eternal love, mystery, fate, vengeance, and justice.  The ballet relates the drama of a temple dancer (bayadère), Nikiya, who is loved by Solor, a noble warrior.  She is also loved by the High Brahmin, but does not love him in return, as she does Solor.

Act I

Scene I, Outside Temple in the Sacred Forest.

The High Brahmin, priests, and temple dancers are celebrating the Indian Ritual of Fire.  Nikiya, the most beautiful of the bayadères, has been chosen to be consecrated the lead temple dancer.  The High Brahmin declares his love for Nikiya, but is rejected by her.  Nikiya meets secretly with Solor later that evening.  They dance together and swear eternal love over the Sacred Fire, but are discovered by the jealous High Brahmin, who vows to kill Solor.

Scene II, A Room in the Palace.

The Rajah has decided to reward Solor’s valor and decrees that the warrior will marry his daughter, Gamzatti.  Gamzatti falls in love with Solor’s portrait, and when they meet, he is overwhelmed by her beauty.  Even though he has sworn eternal love to Nikiya, he cannot defy the wishes of the Rajah and agrees to marry Gamzatti.  The High Brahmin informs the Rajah of Nikiya and Solor’s secret love, hoping that the Rajah will do away with Solor.  Instead, the Rajah decides to kill Nikiya.

This conversation is overhead by Gamzatti, who summons Nikiya to her rooms and attempts to bribe Nikiya to give up Solor.  Refusing, Nikiya frantically attempts to kill  Gamzatti.  Nikiya flees and Gamzatti swears to destroy her.

Scene III, The Garden of the Palace.

At the betrothal of Solor and Gamzatti, Nikiya is commanded to dance.  Gamzatti presents her with a basket of flowers that Nikiya believes to be from Solor, and which conceals a deadly snake.  Nikiya is bitten, and when Solor leaves with Gamzatti, she refuses the proffered antidote and dies.

Act II. The Tent of Solor.

Solor, grief‑stricken and under the influence of opium, dreams of being reunited with Nikiya in the Kingdom of the Shades.  Awakening, he realizes that he must prepare to marry Gamzatti.

Act III. The Temple.

The vision of Nikiya remains with Solor as the wedding ceremony begins at the Sacred Temple.  As Solor and Gamzatti say their vows and are blessed by the High Brahmin, the vengeance of the gods is unleashed, and the temple and all the celebrants are destroyed.  Nikiya and Solor are once again united in eternal love.

Venue Info

New National Theatre Tokyo - Tokyo
Location   1 Chome-1-1 Honmachi, Shibuya City

The New National Theatre, Tokyo (NNTT) is Japan's first and foremost national centre for the performing arts, including opera, ballet, contemporary dance and drama. Since 1997 more than 650 productions were staged. There are about 300 performances per season with approximately 200,000 theatergoers. The centre has been praised for its architecture and state-of-the-art modern theatre facilities, which are considered among the best in the world.

The construction of the NNTT was completed in February 1997. Its first public performances took place in October of that year. The Tokyo Opera City Tower is connected to the theatre. It has concert halls, an art gallery, a media-art museum, office space, many restaurants and shops. The combined complex of the skyscraper tower and the theatre is called the "Tokyo Opera City".

Besides the public performances, various enterprises are undertaken, such as the young artist training programs (for ballet, opera, and theatre), theatre rental for other performing arts groups, performing arts-related exhibitions, public usage of its video library and book library, public performances for children and young students, backstage tours, and most importantly, international exchanges for performing arts events, etc. Moreover, The Stage Set & Design Centre (located in Choshi city, Chiba Prefecture), stores and exhibits previously-used stage scenery and costumes.

Important Info
Type: Ballet
City: Tokyo, Japan
Starts at: 13:00
Intervals: 1
Duration: 2h 45min
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