Royal Opera House Broadcast: La Bayadere

Natalia Makarova’s production of this 19th-century classic ballet brings an exotic world of temple dancers and noble warriors to life. 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.