THE National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus are going to perform the ballet 'La Bayadere' for six nights in Cairo and Alexandria. The Bolshoi will perform April 25, 26, 27 and 28 at the Cairo Opera House and on April 30 and May 1 at the Alexandria Opera House. The renowned 75-member troupe have asked the Cairo Opera House to arrange a bit of sightseeing for them, as they want to see some of Egypt's historic monuments. Abdel-Moneim Kamel, the head of the Cairo Opera House, says that Egyptian students will be able to buy cheap tickets to attend the performances by one of the world's top ballet troupes. "The Bolshoi Theatre has done much to reduce the gap between the arts in the West and the East. They have creatively reintroduced the East's artistic heritage," adds Kamel, stressing that ballet art is a distinctive feature of Russia's social and cultural life. The Russian Bolshoi was established in 1776. ‘La Bayadere'is a ballet in four acts and seven scenes, choreographed by Marius Petipa. It was first performed by the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg in 1877. The action takes place in the Royal India of long ago. As the ballet begins, we learn that Nikiya, a beautiful temple dancer, is in love with a young warrior named Solor. However, Solor is engaged to the Rajah's daughter. During the betrothal, Nikiya is forced to dance, after which she receives a basket of flowers from the Rajah's daughter. The basket contains a deadly snake and Nikiya dies. Solor dreams of reuniting with Nikiya in the Kingdom of the Shades. He then awakens, remembering that he's still engaged. At his wedding, however, he sees a vision of Nikiya. He mistakenly says his vows to her, instead of his bride-to-be. The gods become infuriated and destroy the palace. Solor and Nikiya reunite in spirit, in the Kingdom of the Shades. ‘La Bayadere'is most famous for its ‘white act', commonly known as the Kingdom of the Shades. It is one of the most celebrated excerpts in all of classical ballet. The dance begins with 32 women in white, all making their way down a ramp in unison. The dance is exquisite, and often performed by itself.
