Selections From Ballet Minnesota Repertoire:   Beethoven 6th    Coppelia    Beethoven 9th    Rite of Spring    River Songs    Rhapsody In Blue     Sleeping Beauty      La Bayadere     Swan Lake    Giselle  

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Most recent Production: BMN
Acts 1-3
May 8-9, 2009
13th MN Dance Festival,
Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul, MN
Restaged by: Cheryl Rist
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Costumes: Cheryl Rist
Lighting: Dave Wangen
Sets: Jim Arnold, Cynthia Betz, Mary Kein, Todd Wildenauer
Wardrobe: Barbara Pelletier

La Bayadere.   Act 1 2009 Cast & Photo Display 21st Minnesota Dance Festival Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul, Minnesota Restaged by: Cheryl Rist Photography: Dave Trayers

La Bayadere
Acts 1-3
2009

Nikiya, temple bayadere
     Oksana Konobeyeva

Solor, warrior prince
     Andrei Jouravleva

Gamzatti, Raja's daughter
     Julia Heggernes

High Brahmin, spiritual leader      
     Robert Cleary

Magdeveya,trusted slave
     Garvin Jellison

The Raja Dugmanta
     Antone Gregory

Aya, royal assistant
     Maryann Johnson

Fire Dance: Allen Gregory, Ted Sothern, Garvin Jellison, Jordan Nelson

Bayaderes: Jennifer Bennett, Rebecca Pelletier, Megan Simon, Marisha Johnson, Anna Betz, Sophia Mitchell

Monks: Brad Lis, Jim Arnold, Anders Ulland, Todd Wildenaruer

D'Jampe: Rachelle Horowitz, Margaret Ulland, Jacqueline LIs, Olivia Brunzell-Garrett, Juliana Johnson, Alyssa Wildenauer, Hannah Wagner, Rebecca McDonnell,

Fan Dance: Rachelle Horowitz, Margaret Ulland, Jacqueline LIs, Olivia Brunzell-Garrett, Erin Warn, Maddie Klein, Juliana Johnson, Alyssa Wildenauer,Hannah Wagner, Rebecca McDonnell, Emma Benja, Sophia Mitchell, Allen Gregory, Garvin Jellison, Jordan Nelson, Ted Sothern
Golden Idol: Nicholas Lincoln
Manou Dance: Jacqueline LIs, Sara Ezzell, Maragert Underwood

4 Dancers: Jennifer Bennett, Rebecca Pelletier, Megan Simon, Marisha Johnson

Shades Soloists: Jennifer Bennett, Rebecca Pelletier, Megan Simon

Shades: Julia Heggerness, Jennifer Bennett, Rebecca Pelletier, Megan Simon, Marisha Johnson, Rachelle Horowitz, Margaret Ulland, Jacqueline LIs, Olivia Brunzell-Garrett, Anna Betz, Maddie Klein, Juliana Johnson, Sophia Mitchell, Alyssa Wildenauer, Hannah Wagner, Rebecca McDonnell, Emma Benja, Sara Ezzell, Margaret Underwood, Elle Klein, Erin Warn

Partial Cast Of Characters & Story La Bayadere: Act 1-3 Restaged by: Cheryl Rist Photography: Dave Trayers

Story

La Bayadere is set in ancient India. It is a story of love, intrigue, & betrayal between Solor (the warrior prince), Nikiya (the chosen bayadere), Gamzatti (a princess) and the High Brahmin (spiritual leader of the realm).


Act 1.
Outside the temple.
The High Brahmin, monks and servants gather around the sacred fire, just outside the temple, to celebrate the Indian Ritual of Fire. Magadeveya (a trusted servant & fire dancer) and his compaions are summoned by the High Brahmin to light the sacred fire. Temple dancers (Bayaderes) come out of the temple, gather around the fire and dance the Ritual of Fire dance orchestrated by the High Brahmin. After the dance Nikiya, the chosen bayadere (or temple dancer), enters from the temple to dance a solo fire dance. At this point, while the other bayaderes dance around the fire, the High Brahmin confesses his love to Nikiya. Taken back, she refuses his pledge of love. Upset, the High Brahmin ends the Indian Ritual of Fire, He leaves followed by the Bayaderes, monks and servants. Magdeveya stays behind waiting for his master Solor (the warrior prince) to return from a hunt. Solor enters the glen and Magdeveya tells him that Nikiya will return later to meet him. Solor and Magdeveya leave as Nikiya comes back to fill a vase with water from the well. It is at this point Solor returns. They dance and swear their love over the sacred fire. Magdeveya returns to warn them that the High Brahmin will return. At that moment the High Brahmin looks out from the temple and sees the lovers together. Urged by Magdeveya, Nikiya and Solor leave just as the High Brahmin enters. Angered by what he has seen, the High Brahmin swears that someone will pay.


Act 2, Scene 1.
Room inside the palace.
The Raja enters followed by Solor. It had been decided before ther were born tha Solor and Gamzatti would one day marry. Gamzatti enters and is preseted to Solor. At this point the High Brahmin enters, whereupon the Raja dismisses all so that they would be alone. The High Brahmin tells the Raja of Solor's vow of love to Nikiya at the fire in hopes that the Raja will have Solor killed. However, the Raja rebukes the High Brahmin and dismisses him. He secertly decides to have Nikiya killed instead. Nikiya is summoned by Gamzatti to the palace where Nikiya sees a portrait of Solor. The two fight over Solor's love until Nikiya grabs and knife attempting to kill Gamzatti, only to be stopped by the servant Aya. Nikiya, horrified by what she almost did, leaves the palace.

Act 2, Scene 2.      The Palace Garden.
A grand party, celebrating the engagement of Solor and Gamzatti is being held in the Raja's palace garden. The scene begins with a festive Fan Dance, followed by many festive dances including the engagement adagio and solos of the betrothed: Gamzatti and Solor. At the end of the celebration Nikiya arrives uninvited and dances for the couple but cannot help showing her feeling for Solor. Upset, the Raja secretly summons the royal assisstant Aya and instructs her to find a basket of flowers and put a poisonous snake inside. Aya gives the basket to Nikiya who dances until she is fatally bitten. The high Brahmin, trulin in love with Nikiya gives her an antidote. However, at the last moment Nikiya, seeing Solor and Gamzatti together, throws the antidote away chosing instead death.


Act 3.      Kingdom of the shades
The act opens in Solor's room where Magadeva is waiting to console his master. He offers up the opium pipe to Solor who, twice has a vision of Nikiya. After the second vision Solor has a mystical experience and is transported to the Kingdom of the Shades where he is reunited with NIkiya.

Premiere - 2013

Igor Stravinsky

O'Shaughnesy

Premiere - 1994  1995  2005  2009

Commissioned Score - Robert E Hindel

St Paul Student Theater       Fitzgerald

1996    2007    2008

Peter I Tchaikovsky

O'Shaughnessy     Fitzgerald Theater

Premiere - 2011

Silence ( No Music )

E M   Pearson Theater