Full ballet 13 · Classical story ballet in three acts
A temple dancer, a warrior’s broken promise, and a jealous princess lead us from a royal celebration to the moonlit Kingdom of the Shades.
Nikiya · Death Variation · La Bayadère
Watch from curtain to curtain
Follow the story as it moves from the temple and palace to the Kingdom of the Shades. Notice how the quiet white act changes the mood of the ballet while Solor still carries the guilt of his broken promise.
La Bayadère · The Royal BalletPlayback is hosted by YouTube.
Open supplied reference ↗Variation marker · Act I
Nikiya’s entrance solo in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Variation marker · Act II · Engagement Celebration
Solor’s solo in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Variation marker · Act II · Engagement Celebration
Gamzatti’s solo in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Variation marker · Act II · Engagement Celebration
Nikiya’s final solo at the engagement celebration in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Variation marker · Act III · Kingdom of the Shades
First Shade variation in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Variation marker · Act III · Kingdom of the Shades
Third Shade variation in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Variation marker · Act III · Kingdom of the Shades
Second Shade variation in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Variation marker · Act III · Temple Wedding
Bronze Idol variation in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Variation marker · Act III · Temple Wedding
Gamzatti's Temple Variation in the supplied Royal Ballet production. The marker runs from the opening of the variation through its final phrase. These times are specific to the supplied production.
Performance 2
Watch another interpretation with Svetlana Zakharova as Nikiya, Maria Alexandrova as Gamzatti, and Vladislav Lantratov as Solor.
La Bayadère · Second performancePlayback is hosted by YouTube.
Open supplied reference ↗Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
Variation marker · Performance 2
These times are specific to the second performance with Zakharova, Alexandrova, and Lantratov.
The complete story
The Royal Ballet performs Natalia Makarova’s three-act version after Marius Petipa. The story places Nikiya and Solor’s private love against royal duty, courtly power, jealousy, and betrayal.
Act I
Outside the temple, the warrior Solor asks his friend Magdaveya to arrange a secret meeting with Nikiya, the sacred temple dancer he loves. During the temple ceremony, the High Brahmin declares his own love for Nikiya, but she rejects him. Later, Nikiya meets Solor in secret. In front of the sacred fire, they promise to love each other forever. The jealous High Brahmin watches them and decides to expose their relationship.
At the palace, the Rajah announces that Solor will marry his daughter, Gamzatti. Solor is stunned, but he does not openly refuse the Rajah. The High Brahmin then reveals Solor and Nikiya’s secret love, expecting the Rajah to punish Solor. Instead, the Rajah decides that Nikiya must die. Gamzatti learns the truth too and privately confronts Nikiya. She offers Nikiya jewels and riches if she will give up Solor. Nikiya refuses. Their argument becomes violent, and Nikiya nearly attacks Gamzatti before fleeing in horror. Gamzatti is left determined to remove her rival.
Act II
The palace gardens are filled with guests celebrating the engagement of Solor and Gamzatti. The scene is brilliant and festive, with ceremonial dances, the Bronze Idol, and displays for the royal couple, but the audience knows that Nikiya is in danger. Nikiya is ordered to dance at the celebration of the man she loves and the princess he is expected to marry. Her dancing is full of grief, and Solor can do little to comfort her in front of the court.
A basket of flowers is brought to Nikiya. Believing it is a secret gift from Solor, she becomes joyful and dances with it. A poisonous snake hidden inside the basket bites her. The High Brahmin rushes forward with an antidote and offers to save her, but only if she will abandon Solor and accept his love. For a moment Nikiya reaches toward the medicine. Then she sees Solor with Gamzatti and remembers the promise she made to him. She rejects the antidote and dies rather than betray that promise.
Act III
Solor is overwhelmed by guilt and grief after Nikiya’s death. Seeking escape, he enters a dreamlike vision called the Kingdom of the Shades. One by one, the white-veiled Shades descend in a long repeated procession, creating one of ballet’s most famous corps de ballet scenes. In this otherworldly place, Solor sees Nikiya again. The Shades dance around them, and Nikiya forgives him. Their reunion is beautiful, but it exists only in Solor’s vision.
When the vision ends, Solor must return to the world he tried to escape. His wedding to Gamzatti begins at the temple, even though he is still bound emotionally to Nikiya. During the ceremony, a basket of flowers appears and reminds everyone of Nikiya. The gods, angered by the broken sacred promise, destroy the temple. In Natalia Makarova’s ending, Solor dies in the destruction and the final image reunites the spirits of Nikiya and Solor, suggesting that the promise they could not keep in life is finally fulfilled beyond it.
Meet the characters
Love, duty, jealousy, and power pull the characters in different directions. Clear acting and eye focus help the audience understand the story without words.
The sacred temple dancer
She is a devoted temple dancer who secretly loves Solor. She stays true to their promise even when powerful people try to separate them.
The warrior
He loves Nikiya but agrees to marry Gamzatti when the Rajah orders it. His broken promise causes the tragedy and later fills him with guilt.
The Rajah’s daughter
She is proud and used to getting what she wants. When she learns that Solor loves Nikiya, jealousy makes her dangerous.
The jealous temple authority
He loves Nikiya and tells the Rajah about her secret meeting with Solor. Later, he will save her only if she agrees to give up Solor.
Gamzatti’s father
He orders Solor to marry Gamzatti. When he learns about Nikiya, he sees her as a problem and decides that she must die.
Solor’s trusted friend
He is Solor’s trusted friend. He helps Solor arrange the secret meeting with Nikiya near the temple.
Competition variations
Nikiya’s variations move from serene ceremony to tragedy, while Solor is noble and expansive. All three Gamzatti solos are proud and royal. The three Shade variations are calm and dreamlike, while the Bronze Idol is sharp and powerful. Each solo should keep its character even outside the full ballet.
Find the La Bayadère variationsLa Bayadère · Nikiya
Nikiya enters as the sacred temple dancer at the center of the ballet’s love story. The solo should feel calm and ceremonial, with sustained balances, extensions, and lyrical classical line rather than overt display.
Advanced · common · Serene · devotional · ceremonial
Balances · extensions · sustained adagio · arabesque control
La Bayadère · Nikiya · Act II
Nikiya dances through grief, hope, and shock before the poisoned flower basket turns the celebration into tragedy. The solo requires pointe stamina, musical control, and mature storytelling.
YAGP: Nikiya Death Variation is not accepted for competition unless the variation is under 2:40.
Advanced · common · Lyrical · tragic · dramatic
Balances · piqué turns · quick footwork · extensions · character acting
La Bayadère · Male Variation
Solor’s solo combines grand jumps, turns, beaten steps, and precise landings. The warrior prince should look powerful and musical without sacrificing classical line or control.
Advanced · common · Noble · heroic · expansive
Grand jumps · pirouettes · batterie · quick footwork · character acting
La Bayadère · Princess Gamzatti
A proud palace solo with strong balances, turns, large jumps, and clear classical lines. Gamzatti should look calm, confident, and royal.
Advanced · common · Regal · proud · commanding
Balances · pirouettes · grand jumps · character acting
La Bayadère · Natalia Makarova choreography
A sustained, technically exposed temple solo with controlled balances, extensions, and calm classical line.
YAGP: Gamzatti Temple Variation (choreography by N. Makarova) is NOT accepted without permission from N. Makarova.
Advanced · rare · permission required · Regal · measured · ceremonial
Balances · extensions · sustained adagio · character acting
La Bayadère · Gamzatti entrance · Competition edition
Gamzatti’s entrance variation combines poised balances, controlled turns and extensions, articulate pointe work, and calm royal authority.
Advanced · common · Regal · poised · musically precise
Balances · pirouettes · extensions · quick footwork · character acting
La Bayadère · Kingdom of the Shades
A slow adagio variation with high extensions, long balances, and controlled arabesques. The dancer must stay calm and smooth between each position.
Advanced · common · Calm · balanced · smooth
Extensions · balances · sustained adagio · arabesque
La Bayadère · Kingdom of the Shades
Repeated hops en pointe and quick steps should look light and easy. Strong alignment helps the dancer keep a quiet, graceful upper body.
Advanced · common · Buoyant · precise · weightless
Hops en pointe · arabesque · quick footwork · balances
La Bayadère · Kingdom of the Shades
A calm classical solo that needs secure pointe work, clear arabesque lines, and careful timing. Each position should feel finished but never stiff.
Intermediate · common · Calm · quiet · unhurried
Pointe alignment · arabesque · balances · épaulement
La Bayadère · Male Variation
The golden statue comes to life with strong poses, beaten jumps, turns, and quick steps. After each powerful movement, the dancer returns to stillness.
Advanced · common · Statue-like · powerful · bold
Grand jumps · batterie · quick footwork · character acting
For variation students
La Bayadère needs strong placement that does not look tense. Good preparation, breathing, and focus help difficult pointe work and jumps look calm and natural.
Return to the full performanceSet the supporting foot and hips before lifting the leg. Keep the body stable instead of pushing the leg higher than you can control.
For the Second Shade, practice the hops in small groups. Join them together only when the ankle, toes, and body stay in line.
The Kingdom of the Shades entrance shows the correct arms, upper-body positions, spacing, and tempo. A solo Shade should feel part of the same world.
Complete every jump and turn in a clear shape. The character comes from changing quickly between powerful movement and complete stillness.
Behind the ballet
La Bayadère first appeared at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in Saint Petersburg in 1877. Marius Petipa created the choreography and wrote the story with Sergei Khudekov. Ludwig Minkus wrote the music. The original ballet had four acts and seven scenes. Later versions changed the order and length, but kept the famous Kingdom of the Shades.
Natalia Makarova created this full-length version for The Royal Ballet in 1989, after first staging the ballet for American Ballet Theatre. John Lanchbery arranged the music. Makarova’s version brings back the destruction of the temple and the final reunion of Nikiya and Solor. The setting shows a nineteenth-century European idea of India. It does not show real Indian dance or culture, and that is important to remember when studying the ballet today.