La Bayadere

Stanislavsky Music Theatre, Moscow, Russia

Scene 3 from the ballet "La Bayadère", photo 1

Scene 1 from the ballet "La Bayadère", photo 2

Scene 2 from the ballet "La Bayadère", photo 3

Scene 4 from the ballet "La Bayadère", photo 4

Scene 5 from the ballet "La Bayadère", photo 5

Scene 6 from the ballet "La Bayadère", photo 6

Scene 7 from the ballet "La Bayadère", photo 7

Scene 8 from the ballet "La Bayadère", photo 8

All photos (8)

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7 PM

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Important Info

Type: Ballet

City: Moscow, Russia

Starts at: 19:00

Acts: 3

Intervals: 2

Duration: 3h

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

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.

Can I choose my seats?

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).

Cast

Performers

Ballet company: Stanislavsky Theatre Ballet

Creators

Composer: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Choreography: Natalia Makarova

Librettist: Sergei Khudekov

Overview

The Stanislavsky Theatre, located in XIX century historical building just 750 metres (9-minute walk) from the Bolshoi, proudly presents this timeless classic with dancers who have performed on the Bolshoi stage and studied in the same world-renowned academies as its leading stars. The celebrated “Kingdom of the Shades” scene, a vision of unparalleled harmony and purity, remains the centerpiece of the ballet, as untouchable as the “white acts” of Swan Lake. Ballet at the Stanislavsky Theatre is the great and affordable alternative to the Bolshoi.

Ludwig Minkus and Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère is one of the crown jewels of the Russian Imperial stage, a masterpiece that has inspired generations of ballerinas to embody the tragic heroine, Nikiya. Created in 1877 with a libretto by Sergei Khudekov, the ballet quickly gained legendary status. Every great prima dreamed of the role—an opportunity to dazzle with flawless technique, lyrical expressiveness, and profound dramatic artistry.

Renowned ballerina Natalia Makarova offered her own staging of La Bayadère in 1980. Less pompous and crowded than Petipa’s original, her version preserves the work’s essential poetry and grandeur. Its success has been so enduring that it has been adopted by many of Europe’s most prestigious theatres.

Do not miss the unique opportunity to witness this legendary ballet live on the Moscow stage — a performance where tradition, mastery, and dramatic beauty come together in perfect harmony.

La Bayadère, one of the most splendid ballets of the 19th century, glorified the exotic Orient at a time when foreign travel was only available to the privileged few. The world renowned ballerina and choreographer Natalia Makarova’s production, which honours the original choreography, is the first version of La Bayadère to be seen in the Western world. Pier Luigi Samaritani’s magnificent sets and Anna Kontek’s opulent costumes carry the audience into a world of fairy tales – just like at the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg back in 1877.

“Elegantly simple and purely geometrical, the Kingdom of the Shades reveals the wonderful mastery of the young Petipa. This scene is especially difficult for the corps de ballet, because every move must be executed in precise unison.”

– Natalia Makarova, choreographer

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

Stanislavsky Music Theatre - Moscow
B. Dmitrovka, 17

The Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre is a music theatre in Moscow.

The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre was founded in 1941 when two companies directed by the legendary reformers of twentieth-century theatre — Konstantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko — merged: the Stanislavsky Opera Theatre (established at the end of 1918 as an Opera Studio of the Bolshoi Theatre) and the Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (set up in 1919 as a Studio of the Moscow Art Theatre).

The new theatre followed the artistic principles of its founders, who applied the system of the Moscow Art Theatre to opera and ballet. Both Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko rejected the current conception of opera as "costume concert". They wanted to bring it closer to drama and comedy, revealing the main idea of the plot through psychologically motivated action. The ballet company entered the Theatre as a part of Nemirovich-Danchenko's troupe. It was the former company of the Moscow Art Ballet, established in 1929 by Victorina Krieger, the valued ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre. She was Artistic Director and one of the principal dancers of the Moscow Art Ballet. Soon after Stanislavsky's death, Nemirovich-Danchenko took charge of all the companies (Vsevolod Meyerhold invited by Stanislavsky to work for his theatre, was arrested in 1939, and no other stage director could prove equal to Nemirovich-Danchenko). Then the theatre was given its present name.

Important Info

Type: Ballet

City: Moscow, Russia

Starts at: 19:00

Acts: 3

Intervals: 2

Duration: 3h

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