I was introduced to La Bayadere some years ago, in 2007, back in the days when the AKM — the Ataturk Cultural Center located in Taksim Square — hadn’t yet been robbed of its raison d’être and stood as a bastion of culture and the arts instead of the idle block of concrete it has been turned into today. That time, La Bayadere had been put on stage by the IDOB, the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, and left me spellbound by the beauty of the scenic design, the power of the story told, the enchantment of choreography and the power of the artists’ expressions. I have been waiting for our next encounter ever since. And just when I had about given up hope, what should come before my sour eyes but La Bayadere announced in the program leaflet of the TIM Maslak Show Center. What’s more, it was to be performed by the renowned St. Petersburg State Ballet.
However, this performance of La Bayadere at TIM Maslak Show Center faced some stiff competition. That same evening, the talented hunks of Los Vivancos were at the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall, performing their fusion of flamenco, tap dancing and muscle flexing; the Trisha Brown Dance Company was providing a critically-acclaimed taste of modern dance at İş Sanat; and Fazıl Say was to premiere one of his latest masterpieces, the Mesopotamia Symphony. Thus, I was confronted with three options that I would have otherwise welcomed with open arms. But my mind was made up, and I did not stray from La Bayadere.
La Bayadere fuses the orchestral composition of Austrian composer Ludwig Minkus, the enchanting footwork of French choreographer Marius Petipa, and the mystique, splendour and drama of an Indian tale. Performed for the first time in 1877, it has stood the test of time and is now heralded as one of the greatest masterpieces of ballet. And, in a coincidence that made the TIM Maslak Show Center featuring the St. Petersburg Ballet Company all the more intriguing, it was the city of St. Petersburg in which the ballet had its debut.
My favorite scene from La Bayadere is “The Kingdom of the Shades.” The scene in which Solor, the regretful and agonized lover who had been unable to turn his fate around and circumvent his marriage to Gamzatti (the daughter of the Raja), dreams instead of a parallel universe in which he has united with his true and only love Nikiya, i.e. La Bayadere, the dancer of the temple. In this fantasy land of desires fulfilled, her image multiplies and reflections of the gracious La Bayadere cascade down an inclined plane in graceful movement. The choreography provides one of the most intricate, graceful and aesthetic scenes in ballet history. It was this scene of La Bayadere that had left an eternal imprint on my brain back in 2007. Needless to say, it was also this scene that I looked forward to the most in this performance. And, as always, it was the highlight of the evening.
I am not a ballet critic, so I wouldn’t dare to review the performance of the St. Peterseburg Ballet. I just sat back and enjoyed the show knowing that this company was one of the best in the world. The colorful story line, the vibrant costumes, the enticing dances and the power of the dancers’ dramatic expressions provided one of the most memorable evenings of the season. I also noted the circular form of the TIM stage, and thought that the audience was lucky to be able to experience this performance in a venue that enabled a full and equal view from every seat in the auditorium.
There was just one thing that I found could have been better: Even though the ballet was in full cast and clad in splendid costume, tangible, 3-D stage setting was amiss most of the time. The palace of the Rajah was a mere scene painted on cloth on a bare stage. Even the Kingdom of the Shades missed the trademark inclined plane. The dancers were still impressive. But, I felt like I missed the visual magic of the original scene with the shadows of La Bayadere descending in series on an inclined plane. However, this was perhaps understandable: The tickets were very reasonably priced, peaking at 130 TL. And the show ran for only three days, so they could only reach a certain number of people even at full capacity. It’s also easy to understand why the Ballet would only take their talent with them and try to keep equipment to a minimum. Anyway, they kicked it with their impeccable performance. I left the auditorium knowing that La Bayadere had been the right choice for this evening of myriad alternatives. I look forward to the next time. Both of La Bayadere, and of the St. Petersburg Ballet.
Melis Kanik is a contributor to Yabangee.
