By Lee Hyo-won
Dance is a visceral expression of human emotions, and there’s nothing like a passionate pas de deux to depict the ardor of two people madly in love.
A couple of classical ballets beckon fans to theaters this week to savor epic romances set in faraway lands. The Universal Ballet Company will restage the grandeur of ``La Bayadere” with an all-new cast, while the Korea National Ballet Company (KNBC) will present a revamped version of ``Prince Hodong.’’
Both works may have been showcased last season, but the sweeping effect of star-crossed love stories never grows old, especially when rendered through pulsating movement and live music against the backdrop of exotic stage sets.
A taste of Indian exoticism
The ceiling of the famed Bolshoi Theater in Moscow features a colorful mural of exotic Indian dancers. They are no other than scenes from ``La Bayadere,’’ one of the most enduring repertoires in classical ballet.
Choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus in 1877, ``La Bayadere’’ continues to inspire and the Universal Ballet will stage the piece from Friday through Nov. 5 at the Seoul Arts Center.
Set in India, the story is essentially about a passionate love quadrangle. Nikita, the ``bayadere’’ (temple dancer), and the young warrior Solor are faithful lovers, but the High Brahmin, who romances the heroine, and Gamzatti, the rajah’s daughter who wants to marry Solor, tries to break them apart. In the end, the young couple dies and are reunited in the spiritual Kingdom of the Shades among the Himalayas.
The ballet has been a showcase piece for troupes to utilize extravagant production designs. The Universal Ballet performed the Korean premiere in Seoul in 1999 and by 2004 it had gained a reputation as a blockbuster performance featuring over 150 dancers. In 2001 it gave a U.S. tour, staging the work in such esteemed venues as the New York Lincoln Center, Washington Kennedy Center and Los Angeles Performing Arts Center.