H079 DVD Ballet La Bayadère Guérin & Hilaire & Platel, Paris Opera ★You can't talk about La Bayadère without seeing the Opera. It begins and ends with the Opera. ★Condition: Used but in good condition. The image quality is very good considering its age. It's a 4:3 screen, but it looks great if you use smart zoom to fit your screen size. Booklet: Simplified Japanese commentary included Recorded: 1997 Direction/Choreography: Rudolf Nureyev Paris Opera Ballet Cast: Isabelle Guérin, Laurent Hilaire, Elisabeth Platel, Lionel Delanoë ★★★Rudolf Nureyev, the artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet for many years, created this final stage production before his death from AIDS. Nureyev's soul is condensed in this work, it's amazing. I think that in the history of all ballet works, for the past 50 years and the next 50 years, a work like this will never be created again. Those who understand art will understand. ★★★Quoted from web reviews below: ① A wonderful work that Nureyev left to the Opera at the end. The choreography (slight differences in movements), costumes, and art are all finished with a refined sense. ② The casting is excellent. Nureyev himself chose the cast. Guérin's dancing, as the passionate Nikiya, overflows with emotion. Platel's glamorous appearance and graceful dancing are perfect for the princess character, Gamzatti. Hilaire's dancing is supple yet somehow wild, making the indecisive Solor an attractive presence. Also, Nureyev has removed the redundant dances, making it easy to see. The exotic sets, such as the elephants in the banquet scene, are also fun. There is also the Makarova version of La Bayadère by the Royal Ballet, but personally, I think Nureyev's version is easier to watch with its 3-act structure. It's just beautiful. There's nothing more to say. ③ Although the work is a bit old, the video is beautiful! The Kingdom of the Shades scene is exceptional. There is no one better than the Paris Opera for white ballet. You can understand why the gold ballet is called the art of the legs. It reproduces Nureyev's unique aesthetic of being gorgeous and glamorous while having a shadow at a high level. The stage and costumes are dazzling.