The Royal Ballet rehearse La Bayadère – World Ballet Day 2018 (Takada, Osipova, Muntagirov)

Nikiya, a temple dancer, is in love with the warrior Solor. The High Brahmin also desires Nikiya, and when she rejects him, he plans to take revenge on Solor.

When the High Brahmin tells the Rajah about Solor’s secret love, the Rajah decides that Nikiya, not Solor, should be killed. Princess Gamzatti is to be married to Solor. She overhears and tries to bribe Nikiya to give up Solor, but Nikiya refuses. The Rajah and Gamzatti arrange for Nikiya to be killed by a snake bite during the engagement festivities. Despondent, Solor is filled with remorse and haunted by visions of Nikiya. He cannot complete the wedding ceremony. The gods are angered and destroy the temple with all inside it. In the afterlife, Solor and Nikiya are finally united.

An iconic 19th-century Russian ballet, La Bayadère was originally performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in St Petersburg in 1877, and was regularly performed within the former Soviet Union throughout the 20th century. It remained unknown in the West until the Kirov Ballet toured with the Kingdom of the Shades scene in 1961. Natalia Makarova saw La Bayadère as a child in Leningrad and created this production in 1980. It was first performed by The Royal Ballet in 1989.

[kabardinka]

Olga Evreinoff's coaching is gold. This level of detail makes the difference between a generic performance and artistry.

[mickeymorgan]

"Speak, rather than make a position" . . . brilliant

[robbiefenton]

My favourite moment was hearing the teacher, Olga Evreinoff call Akane, "Akane-Chan". There is something very sweet and mindful about that. Loved this video!

[salizzie]

Please credit your pianists. They are wonderful artists also and a privilege to watch and hear in rehearsal and class.

[markbeck]

The Coach is wonderful, and also I admire how quickly the dancers respond to her suggestions. There seems
to be no ego or mental dullness going on, as compared to real life in amateurville. Nice to see professionals!

[teacherji]

Amazing. Olga Everinoff is the coach and she knows absolutely everything about the choreography and how to make it completely effective. I can't believe that I had the opportunity to work with her a long time ago. I had about as much talent as a potato and yet she was still kind, demanding and patient.

[emmacurrens]

Natalia Osipova has such a lovely quality to her movements. A true master of her art and so fun to watch!

[isamm]

I'm discovering Akane Takada in this video and only today. My God! She has beautiful lines, beautiful face and her dancing i stunning. I don't know how old she is but I think it's time for the ROH to show us people with that inner elegance.

[YukisGirlfriend]

Akane Takada has such a beautiful body for ballet, the lines of her long arms and legs look sooo elegant omg

[sharonstromley]

I don't know how old Olga is here but you can still see elegance in every long line of her body. Her arms and hands are beauty in motion. She has forgotten more than most will ever learn and her love of the dance will always shine out of those fortunate to be trained by her.

[alifn]

Imagine having the passion of your life? You will grow old with soul content of love. The ballerinas, the coach, and pianist, i always think they re doing their job because of love, not money.

[MikiiMikii-cyrs]

I fully admire and respect Olga Evreinoff to teach Akane-chan with this minute and precise manner. Akane Takada is I believe one of the best dancers for the role of Nikiya with her extraordinary flexible movements and emotional expressions.

[kari]

I need Miss Olga to come and talk me through my daily moves in life, she is delightful and gentle <3

[hries]

Lets just appreciate the pianist for a second, his playing is beautiful.

[suzannebarton]

Nice to see Olga coaching rather than teaching a class. Her corrections are so gentle but so clear 😊

[pedinurse]

I love Natalia, she is so precise and those jumps are fab, she always looks like she loves what she is doing, Vadim is adorable, so manly and gentle

[delirium]

What a beautiful Akane Takada, so deep and sad. Love her, artistic Osipova, Muntagirov and their skillful tutor 💖

[miguelreynel]

I’ve watched this video I think more than twenty times and it’s always so mesmerizing and ravishing, as the first time. I think the rehearsals have a life no finished piece has... These dancers are so docile and so easily conform to the instructions, and then everything, every movement, every gesture looks so perfect and brilliant. I love these people. They are art themselves, their bodies, their movements, living masterpieces.

[dorkywatersrundeep]

My goodness. Everyone is a miracle of humanity’s talent.

[lordbyron]

I’m appreciating ballet more because of these rehearsals. So much hard work needed to become an elite dancers.