Classical ballet lovers recently enjoyed a beautiful performance of the ballet ‘La Bayadère' (The Temple Dancer), given by the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus, at Cairo Opera House. This event came towards the end of a season dominated by modern and contemporary dance shows. This Belarusian ballet company has become an annual visitor to Cairo Opera House during Russian Ballet Week, a tradition started in the 1990s, which has proved considerably successful. ‘La Bayadère' was a product of the fruitful co-operation between the legendary French choreographer Marius Petipa and the Austrian composer Ludwig Minkus, both of whom made their debut in the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres in Russia in the second half of the nineteenth century. The ballet, which in its original form consisted of four acts and seven tableaux, has been staged several times over the years by other choreographers. The Belarusian version was staged by Pavel Stalinsky. Although he strove to revive Petipa's classical designs, he introduced some slight modifications, rearranging the ballet into three acts. This famous ballet is frequently compared to Aida in the world of opera. Both depend on stories in a non-European context, with impressively lavish costumes and huge numbers of performers on stage. Aida is set in Egypt, ‘La Bayadère' in India. This work has been presented by other ballet companies in Cairo Opera House, in 1995 and 2005. The Belarusian production had its own merits. The impressive single and group dances were superb, while Belarusian conductor Nikolai Kolyadko's musical interpretation was excellent. Kolyadko cleverly balanced the different instrumental sections in the Cairo Symphony Orchestra and the sound was clear and acoustically clean. We also enjoyed the beautiful and expressive solo harp and violin performances in several parts of the ballet. Stalinsky's staging paid considerable attention to the visual effects and dance groups. The stage was transformed into artistic tableaux. He devoted a whole act for solo dances, while the rest of dancers stood or sat still in the background, ‘a silent décor'. The dancers' acting was just as impressive as their outstanding dancing. Nevertheless, this act was too long and lacked the required variation, especially as it offered no dramatic progression whatsoever. The costumes and scenery designs of Vyacheslav Okunev, lavish as they were, did not do justice to the ballet. He deployed dark colours throughout the work, giving away its tragic end. Many of the characters had similar costumes, which was confusing for the audience. The participation of children from the Egyptian Ballet Institute immensely enriched the ballet, adding a joyful touch to a somewhat gloomy Belarusian production. [email protected]
