La Bayadère at ABT

La Bayadère, with the glorious music of Ludwig Minkus and the choreography of Marius Petipa is perhaps the greatest exponent of pure Orientalism in ballet that sprung in Imperial Russia in the late nineteenth century. The artistic movement, which also includes Rimsky-Korsakov's 1888 Sheherazade, eventually led to the 20th century and Igor Stravinsky's 1913 Le Sacre du Printemps. Petipa's classical choreography morphed into Vaslav Nijinsky's examination of angular body movements to illustrate the primeval qualities of Stravinsky's music. Orientalism became Primitivism: the perfect prelude for the savagery of the Russian Revolution and the disposal of the Imperial dynasty that supported the work of classical ballet and the Great War.  But back in 1877, when La Bayadère was first performed by the Imperial Ballet in St Petersburg no one suspected that Orientalism was a hidden metaphor for a society that would soon be gone with the wind.

American Ballet Theatre's version of this classic follows Petipa's choreography closely.  On Saturday night, the cast featured Isabella Boylston as the dancer Nikiya, and Jeffrey Cirio was the warrior Solor. They offered technically excellent performances. Ms. Boylston is a careful dancer, and at times this gets in the way of her performance. If she would only let herself go she would achieve the kind of heights that would propel her to another level. Mr. Cirio is a more "go for the gold" performer, and he proved it Saturday night with a gutsy approach that excited many in the audience. Likewise Misty Copeland, in the smaller role of Gamzatti, proved that she is the real deal, if at times her dancing lacks a certain elegance that some in the audience demand. Joseph Gorak, as the Bronze Idol, stole the show with his bravura solo dance and showy body makeup. Hard to dislike an idol that comes to life, and whose blingy bouncy body catches the glow of the spotlight.