La Bayadère | Ludwig Minkus 

© Paris Opera - Bel Air Media - 2026 

Synopsis 

In a dreamlike India where a magnificent elephant parades before the rajah’s lavish palace and a golden idol follows a fan dance, the ballet tells the story of the ill-fated love between the warrior Solor and Nikiya, a sacred temple dancer. 

Overview 

A jewel of the Paris Opera repertoire, La Bayadère dazzles with its virtuosic variations, impressive ensemble scenes and the purity of its “Kingdom of the Shades” act, in which 32 dancers in white tutus slowly trace their arabesques with an almost magical poetry. 

Duration: 2hr05 without intermission 

Choreography: Rudolf Nureyev, after Marius Petipa 

Music: Ludwig Minkus 

Adaptation, arrangement: John Lanchberry 

Conductor: Koen Kessels 

Cinema Director: Julien Condemine 

Cast: (subject to change) Dorothée Gilbert (Nikiya), Hugo Marchand (Solor), Roxane Stojanov (Gamzatti), Paris opera Premières Danseuses and Premiers Danseurs , the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet 

 Ballet in three acts.