A classic title that is always welcome

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded the Ukraine. The outbreak of the war surprised the National Ballet of Ukraine while touring France. With Russian troops approaching Kyiv, the company decided to maintain the performance schedule. In such painful circumstances, these dancers became a symbol of resilience, and each performance, an act of cultural resistance. Five years have passed since the beginning of the conflict, and the terrible conditions of daily life have made it arduous to maintain the high level of the company’s productions along with its well-earned international acclaim.

La Bayadère, a reference point of the most classical of ballets, returns to the Teatro de la Maestranza. For a fundamental work of the repertoire, Ludwig Minkus composed the music, and Marius Petipa set the choreography. This story of prohibited love between the temple dancer Nikiya and the warrior set in an imaginary India is a cornerstone to measure the excellence of any ballet troupe. A balance must be found between the enormously challenging technique and its expression of a wide range of intense emotions. An excellent example of academic ballet in the most noble sense, by one of its most qualified ambassadors and the opulent sound of the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla.