Dutch National Ballet - La Bayadère

A tragic love story

The new Bayadère production is set in Southeast India, where the Dutch established several trading posts during the Dutch East India Company (VOC) era. The genuine love between Nikiya, a beautiful Indian dancer, and Solor, a captain of mixed blood, challenges prevailing norms and expectations. However, Solor allows himself to be manipulated by the Dutch governor Willem Karel Hartsinck, who forces him to marry his daughter Alida. When Alida discovers that Solor already loves someone else, she decides to eliminate Nikiya. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, Solor slips into a dream state. In the iconic "Kingdom of Shadows," he sees Nikiya again, but he can no longer reach her. The consequences of his wrong choices will haunt him forever.

New perspectives

This new production of La Bayadère is based on fact rather than fiction. The original dance gems remain intact, but are placed within a vision that resonates with our times. New perspectives are offered, highlighting the many invisible figures who are part of ballet's history.