India, Dances

A ballet classic, “La Bayad`ere,” which is set is India, will be performed from March 8 to 10 in the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The plot of La Bayad`ere, which means a Hindu temple dancer, is the triangular love affair among a beautiful dancer, Nikya, a noble warrior Solor, and a local Rajah’s daughter, Gamzatti.

The large-scale classic in which more than 150 dancers appear will be performed in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of Universal Ballet. It was performed for the first time in Korea in 1999 by Universal Ballet and will be performed for the third time after a lapse of four years.

“Improvement in performance of a classic, which has a somehow inflexible form, is up to the dancers’ capability,” said Julia H. Moon, general director of Universal Ballet, showing confidence in the ballet by adding, “You may expect the 2004 version of La Bayad`ere to be better than the one of four years ago.”

-A tragic love story of a temple dancer

La Bayad`ere is evaluated as “the hardest of the hardest” because besides needing leading ballerinas’, it needs various and showy divertissements and many dancers who have even abilities. That means, on the other hand, that it offers many things to enjoy to the audience.

La Bayad`ere, which was created by Marius Petipa, was first performed at the Maryinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, February 4, 1877 by the Kirov Ballet. It contained exotic tastes which were in fashion at that time among Russian upper classes.

-Showy dances of 32 ballerinas

Three ballerinas will play the role of Nikya each day of the three days’ performances. Lim Hye-kyung, who performed Nikya in 1999 and 2000, will reappear on the stage as Nikya. She, who won the gold prize at Donga Concour in 1989, is showing the passion of the dance after giving birth three months ago. On the ninth, Hwang Hye-min, who can be named as the new star of Universal Ballet, will perform Nikya. She, who showed a mature performance in “Giselle” last year, will challenge for Nikya. On the tenth, the first Korean ballerina who joined the American Ballet Theater, Kang Ye-na, will dance on the stage. Whang Jae-won and Uhm Jae-yong will perform Solor by turns.

From March 8 to March 10, 7:30 p.m., running time; two hours and a half (including breaks), 20,000-100,000 won, 02-2204-1039

Hyoung-Chan Kim khc@donga.com