"You live as long as you dance! And as long as you live, dance!" would say Nureyev to his dancers. They rehearse, tirelessly, from evening to morning, one of the most beautiful ballets there is: La Bayadère. Our film follows the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet who were able to rehearse again during the lockdown in 2020.

Jewel from the Paris Opera repertoire, La Bayadère is a mega-production with flamboyant sets and costumes that brings together on stage nearly 90 dancers of the company. Considered, along with Swan Lake, as one of Rudolf Nureyev's masterpieces, it is also one of the most technical and difficult ballets ever. An unmatched challenge for the dancers after long weeks of interruption and which testifies to the vital energy of dance.

The Étoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet

A coproduction Ex Nihilo, Opéra national de Paris and the Fondation Rudolf Noureev
With the participation of France Télévisions, and of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée.

Director: Priscilla Pizzato

© Ex Nihilo – Opéra national de Paris – Fondation Rudolf Noureev - 2021