La Bayadère

About

This production of La Bayadère is Natalia Makarova's staging, which she choreographed after Marius Petipa. It received its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre in May 1980 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The production is known for its grand scale, featuring scenery by PierLuigi Samaritani and costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge. Lighting design is by Toshiro Ogawa. Makarova's version is a modernized staging that cuts much from the original while retaining the Soviet-era choreography for the male bravura solos. Uniquely, Makarova choreographed a final act that had been discarded in the Soviet Union after 1923, restoring the narrative conclusion of the temple destruction. The production is anchored by the famous "Kingdom of the Shades" scene (Act II in this three-act production), celebrated for its formalist structure and the entrance of 24 women in white tutus descending a ramp in arabesque.