About the creation of a new La Bayadère

A step forwards by looking back at the past

The new production of La Bayadère is based on fact rather than fiction. Its original dance gems remain intact, but they are set in a vision that is compatible with our times. The project is led by four co-directors: Dr. Priya Srinivasan, Kalpana Raghuraman, Rachel Beaujean and Ted Brandsen.

Text: Lune Visser

The team are resolved that these gems must not be lost. Ted Brandsen says, “Just as you wouldn’t replace a Rembrandt with a new painting, you wouldn’t let such beautiful ballet heritage disappear either. The only way to preserve it is to keep on performing it. And you can only do so by placing it in a new context, away from the orientalist view of the nineteenth century and towards equality.”

In those days, it was customary to place romantic fairy-tale ballets in an exotic setting. And the extensively discussed tour of India made by the Prince of Wales in 1875-1876 also formed a good incentive for choreographer Marius Petipa to create just such a ballet.

Historical research

Dr. Priya Srinivasan, dance historian and choreographer, says, “But Petipa was also inspired by a group of Indian dancers who toured Europe between 1838 and 1839. Our new version of La Bayadère now aims to pay a fitting tribute to this remarkable source of inspiration, and to acknowledge the complex and unequal history behind the work. As part of this, we’re working with Indian artists from various backgrounds – taking steps towards a decolonial approach and contributing to a more equitable future for the ballet world.”

Kalpana Raghuraman, Creative Associate with Dutch National Ballet, says, “We’re able to take this different approach partly thanks to Priya’s historical and archaeological research, and also through my cultural and artistic input as a Dutch-Indian choreographer. We think it’s extremely progressive that Dutch National Ballet is adopting this approach.”

Another time, another place

The co-directors are not opting to cut sections, as some other companies have done. Srinivasan explains, “We’re trying to present a new version of the ballet by rewriting the libretto. We’re situating the story in a real Dutch trading post – Fort Sadras in South-East India – and, through extensive archival research, have created characters based on real people from the time of the Dutch East India Company, including the Dutch, English and Germans, and people of mixed backgrounds. This way, we want to stay away from presenting racist stereotypes. For instance, the character of the ‘Rajah’ has now been replaced by a corrupt Dutch Colonel who really existed.”

Raghuraman adds, “This is the first time a classical ballet has reflected on the fraught history of the Netherlands, and we want to highlight both its rich depth and its complexity.”

Choreographic adaptations

The new setting does necessitate some changes to the choreography. Rachel Beaujean says, “The characters are sometimes so different that the movements no longer match their personalities. The Dutch Colonel, for example, doesn’t move in the same way as the original Rajah. In creating new steps, I’m guided by the libretto, and I try to let the movements really tell the story. In any case, I won’t need to change anything to the white act: the ‘Kingdom of the Shades’. That’s been handed down from dancer to dancer for generations and is still pretty much intact. I’m sure that today’s audiences will be enthralled by this scene as well.”