PA Ballet brings supernatural love story La Bayadère to the stage

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- This March, The Pennsylvania Ballet is staging the classic piece La Bayadre, a supernatural love story set in an exotic world.

La Bayadre is considered a masterpiece ballet, a passionate love story that takes place in Royal India.

"It's about a warrior that falls in love with a Bayadre;l she's like a temple dancer," explains PA Ballet Artistic Director Angel Corella. "At the same time, he's engaged to the daughter of the Raja, and he's caught in between those two women."

As the two women battle for the warrior's affection, audiences are taken on a journey through this world and the next.

"There's this statue that all of a sudden comes alive and it starts to dance," Corella says.

The Kingdom of the Shades is one of the most mesmerizing scenes in the show.

"Thirty-two girls coming down from around in only one leg and they have to dance all in unison," Corella says. "There's a lot of passages throughout the ballet that are very beautiful."

To make it more authentic, Corella says, the company brought in an expert on Indian dance: "how to do the hands and the hands gestures and the movements."

This is the first time the Pennsylvania Ballet has ever staged the classic and Corella hopes audiences will be excited to see it.

"La Bayadre is one of the most iconic ballets in the classical repertoire. It's with Swan Lake and The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty," Corella says. "It is one of the most beautiful ballets you can ever see. It's exotic, passionate; it's beautifully danced."

Pennsylvania Ballet: La Bayadre I Buy tickets

March 5-15, 2020

Academy of Music

240 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102