Minkus: La Bayadère (The Royal Ballet)

Tamara Rojo (Nikiya); Carlos Acosta (Solar); Marianela Nuñez (Gamzatti);

"There wasn’t a single physical gesture that didn’t mean something, that didn’t speak of love trying and failing to blossom." (The Daily Telegraph)

Minkus: La Bayadère (The Royal Ballet)

Marianela Nuñez (Nikiya); Vadim Muntagirov (Solor); Natalia Osipova (Gamzatti); Gary Avis (The High Brahmin); Thomas Whitehead (Rajah); Alexander Campbell (The Bronze Idol); Yuhui Choe, Yasmine Naghdi, Akane Takada (Shades);

"The Royal Ballet’s revival of La Bayadère is lit up by starry casting. Two of the company’s reigning ballerinas, Marianela Nuñez and Natalia Osipova, face off as the temple dancer Nikiya and her rival, the princess Gamzatti. It makes for a night of powerful personalities and blazing dancing. The Royal Ballet dance Natalia Makarova’s production with complete conviction. High Brahmins and Rajahs put weight into the traditional mime gestures, while dancing roles are cast splendidly from strength. Ballerinas aside, La Bayadère is best known for the Shades act, one of the strictest and most beautiful tests of the corps de ballet. Their first entrance is hypnotic. Appearing one by one, performing the same steps in unison, they are like a stage full of reflections, a vision of infinity. The Royal corps were both steady and expansive, with a glowing lyricism in their swaying torsos." (Evening Standard ★★★★)

My First Ballet Collection

Opera & Ballet Favourites

Plácido Domingo (Tenor); Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Baritone); Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano); Darcey Bussell (Ballet Dancer); Irek Mukhamedov (Ballet Dancer);

"a dazzling evening in the company of a galaxy of stars from The Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera…an unsurpassable celebration of opera and ballet." (The Daily Telegraph)

Pas de deux (The Royal Ballet)

Marianela Nuñez (Odette (Swan Lake); Kitri (Don Quixote); Myrtha (Giselle)); Edward Watson (Rudolf (Mayerling)); Sergei Polunin (Jack/Knave of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)); Sarah Lamb (Elite Syncopations; Limen; Perdita (The Winter's Tale)); Mara Galeazzi (Mary Vetsera (Mayerling)); Tamara Rojo (Manon (Manon)); Carlos Acosta (Des Grieux (Manon); Basilio (Don Quixote)); Alina Cojocaru (Giselle (Giselle)); Natalia Osipova (Odile (Swan Lake)); Matthew Golding (Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake)); Roberta Marquez (Lise (La fille mal gardée)); Steven McRae (Colas (La fille mal gardée); Floitzel (The Winter's Tale); The Prince (The Nutcracker));

Pita: The Mother

Natalia Osipova (Dancer); Jonathan Goddard (Dancer);

"…one of the most profoundly moving and emotionally compelling dance performances you are ever likely to see." (The Herald ★★★★)