Rehearsal of 'La Bayadere' at the Royal Opera House

Last week I was lucky enough to go to a rehearsal of 'La Bayadere' danced by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House. Rehearsals are usually the same as the final production with costumes and lighting and music, except the band are in jumpers and cardigans. For many people it would've been their first opportunity to see the grand old building fully opened up again after the renovation work that has meant parts of it have been shit for the last couple of years.

Most of the story-telling in 'La Bayadere' tale place in the first act in which we learn that the famous huntsman is in love with the temple dancer but the head priest also wants the dancer. When the huntsman gets back to the city he learns that the Rajah has decided he must marry his daughter. At the betrothal ceremony the temple dancer is invited to dance and is given flowers that she is told are from the huntsman but they're not, they contain  poisonous snake that bites her. The high priest has an antidote but she rejects it, preferring death to losing her lover. The second act is a prolonged opium dream in which the hunter sees visions of the dancer everywhere. The third act sees the betrothal ceremony again and the gods rain down death and destruction on the Rajah for poisoning the temple dancer and reunites the hunter and the dancer forever.

Ok, not the greatest plot, but 'La Bayadere' isn't about plot, it's about great dancing and spectacle. There are some spectacular moments and my favourite was at the start of the opium dream when first one, then two, then three and, ultimately, 24 ballerinas dance onto the stage using the same steps and dressed identically slowly filling the stage with visions of the temple dancer. That's a great moment. The same dance moves, halt, move forward a couple of paces to allow another ballerina onto the stage, and then repeat the dance moves. It's moment like those that make you love this ballet.

Another marvellous moment was at the start of the third act when the bronze idol at the temple came alive and leapt up to the rafters as part of his dance. Great leaps and bounds, twists and turns and all from this golden figure taking over the stage before the destruction begins. I also liked the temple dancer's dances with her exotic costume floating after her as she moved. I wonder if her costume really is made of silk? or some silk-like fabric?

For the rehearsal, the temple dancer was the most marvellous Marianela Nunez and the hunter was Vadim Muntagirov. The bronze idol was a very bouncy Alexander Campbell. The rehearsal went off with a hitch but I think the main spotlight person needs a bit more practice. Just saying. Well done people!