Three of a Kind: Tale of a temple dancer

They say that good things come in threes and the Ballet Manila Archives wholeheartedly agrees! In this series, we feature three photos or videos with the same theme that celebrates the history of ballet, the company, and its dancers.

The story of La Bayadere revolves on the titular temple dancer who finds herself enmeshed in a love triangle through no fault of her own. Nikiya and the warrior Solor swear eternal love for each other in front of the sacred flame, but Solor being chosen to marry the Rajah’s daughter Gamzatti ends their union. The betrayal leads to Nikiya’s demise, but ultimately, the two find each other again in an alternate realm.

Ballet Manila has staged the full-length La Bayadere in three performance runs. As the company prepares to bring it back for a fourth time, we put the spotlight on the souvenir program covers of its previous productions.

Ballet Manila first presented the full-length La Bayadere in 2004, with People’s Artist of Russia Sergey Vikulov and wife, Merited Artist of Russia Tatiana Udalenkova – the beloved mentor of artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde – at the helm of the staging. Lisa graced the cover of the program where she also described the challenge of dancing the multi-faceted role of Nikiya – being soft and lyrical in the first two acts, and turning into the epitome of strength and heroism in the third. 

Two years later, in 2006, Ballet Manila brought back La Bayadere as the opening salvo of its 11th season. Counted among the most demanding of classical ballets, it showcased the iconic Kingdom of the Shades in Act 3 where 22 Nikiyas danced simultaneously in Solor’s opium-induced dream. On the program cover, dancer Roduardo Ma is pictured as the Golden Idol – easily one of the most unforgettable characters of the epic ballet set in India. 

It took seven years before La Bayadere would make its next appearance. And when it did, the number of Nikiyas had increased to 32. The staging also marked four different casts of principals performing as Nikiya, Solor and Gamzatti. Senior soloist Dawna Reign Mangahas, making her debut as Nikiya, was the cover girl of the program alongside a smaller figure of principal dancer Rudy De Dios who was Solor for the first time to Lisa’s Nikiya. The run of La Bayadere in 2013 actually included Lisa’s final performances as Nikiya as part of her Swan Song Series.