Heroism, undying love, jealousy, rage, betrayal, revenge – big themes that resonate profoundly in the human condition and La Bayadère has them all. There was virtuosic athleticism from the male dancers, spell-binding synchronism and a narcoleptic presence in the corps of Shades (24 beautiful ballerinas) and the exotica of the Ganges, woven coloured silks and a Bengal tiger in this very strident and powerful production by the Australian Ballet.
My sister took me to see La Bayadère at the Sydney Opera House not long before the curtain ran down on 2014. For more on that exquisite production see the Sydney Morning Herald.