Dutch National Ballet Presents Decolonial Reinterpretation of La Bayadère in Amsterdam

The Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam has staged a new production of the classical ballet La Bayadère, aiming to address its colonialist perspectives through a decolonial approach. The production features stage and costume designs by Jérôme Kaplan, which are described as elegant and historically reflective, with simplified, abstracted sets to emphasize a revised, realistic version rather than the original exotic fantasy. The ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and premiered in St. Petersburg in February 1877, tells the story of the temple dancer Niki, who dies from a snakebite and reappears in the dreams of the warrior Solor. Historically, it was part of a group of works with exotic settings, performed by white dancers in Russia during the colonial era, reflecting orientalist fantasies. For this reinterpretation, the Dutch National Ballet collaborated with choreographers and dance experts Priya Srinivasan and Kalpana Raghuraman, both of Tamil heritage, who conducted research to better contextualize the history of temple dancers. Their contributions led to renaming characters to represent Dutch colonial figures, shifting the narrative from an internal Indian class conflict to a depiction of colonial oppression and exploitation. The production is directed by Ted Brandsen, with choreography overseen by deputy ballet director Rachel Beaujean, who adapted Petipa's original steps and added new phrases where necessary. This approach is part of a broader decade-long discussion in ballet about identity and appropriation issues, contrasting with reconstructions like those by Alexei Ratmansky, which aim for historical authenticity. The article notes that ballet classics have frequently been altered over 150 years, a practice less common in other art forms like opera. It references a related example where choreographer Akram Khan created a revised version of Giselle for the English National Ballet in 2016, arguing for breaking traditions to make works relevant, though this raises questions about preserving original artistic intent. The Amsterdam production demonstrates how ballet can engage with its problematic past through contextualization rather than erasure.