Why The Royal Ballet love performing La Bayadère

Natalia Makarova’s production of this 19th-century classic ballet brings an exotic world of temple dancers and noble warriors to life. The Royal Ballet discuss their experience of rehearsing and performing in La Bayadère. An iconic 19th-century Russian ballet, La Bayadère was originally performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in St Petersburg in 1877, and was regularly performed within the former Soviet Union throughout the 20th century. It remained unknown in the West until the Kirov Ballet toured with the Kingdom of the Shades scene in 1961. Natalia Makarova saw La Bayadère as a child in Leningrad and created this production in 1980. It was first performed by The Royal Ballet in 1989. The ballet contains roles of very different styles for two ballerinas in Nikiya and Gamzatti, a spectacular virtuoso solo for the Bronze Idol, and stunning pas de deux for Solor with both Nikiya and Gamzatti. Find out more at