Rajan Zed, a leading Hindu cleric and a well-known leader in interfaith relations, says that the Paris Opera Ballet should not be “callously promoting the appropriation of traditions, elements and concepts of ‘others' and ridiculing entire communities” in the ballet La Bayadère, saying it “seriously trivialises Eastern religious and other traditions”.
Zed is an Indian immigrant and now an American citizen. In 2008 he was invited by the President of European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pottering, for a meeting to promote interfaith dialogue and discuss Hindu issues. He said,
This deeply problematic ballet is just a blatant belittling of a rich civilization and exhibits 19th-century orientalist attitudes. Ballet companies should show some maturity before selecting a ballet like La Bayadère” displaying Western caricaturing of Eastern heritage and abetting ethnic stereotyping.
It is highly irresponsible for a prestigious national organization to continue to include in its repertoire such a ballet which has been blamed for patronising a flawed mishmash of orientalist stereotypes, dehumanizing cultural portrayal and misrepresentation, offensive and degrading elements, needless appropriation of cultural motifs, essentialism, shallow exoticism, caricaturing, etc.
He has issued statements aimed at other organisations including the University of North Carolina School of the Arts that has La Bayadère in its upcoming Spring Dance event, and the Korean National Ballet, which begins performances of the ballet tonight. Last year he made similar statements criticising Houston Ballet and The Royal Ballet for staging the same ballet. He said that the Paris Operas Ballet ought to “re-evaluate its systems and procedures and send their executives for cultural sensitivity training so that such inappropriate stuff did not slip through in the future” and added that corporate backers, such as Rolex, should “re-think before sponsoring such ballets”.
Nikolaj Hübbe's production of the ballet for the Royal Danish Ballet in 2002 tried to modify the story to appease the critics with British aristocrats in colonial India being Solor and Gamzatti, and instead of the Golden Idol he had a Blue God, like the Hindu god Shiva. When Benjamin Millepied was at the Paris Opera Ballet he took the black face makeup off the students in la danse de négrillons, and called it, simply, a children's dance.
Jean-Christophe Maillot, currently the artistic director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, has warned,
We know how to be politically correct, but we're dying from that. I take the risk of [people] not understanding, being shocked by what I put on stage. If we destroy that freedom, I think it's very dangerous.
Zed said that Hindus consider ballet as an art form to revere being one that offers “richness and depth”.
But we are well into the 21st century now, and outdated La Bayadère, which was first presented in St. Petersburg in 1877, is long overdue for permanent retirement from the world stage, including from Opéra National de Paris.
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
It would be a tragedy to see La Bayadere dissappear from ballet companies repertoires. The different acts of La Bayadere present a wonderful contrast of ballet dance choreography,styles, costumes, moods and beautiful music by Mincus. In previous years whenever it was performed I would often attend more than once in a season so I am quite familiar with La Bayadere, I always found it somewhat amusing that the choreographer seemed to have introduced some moves that appeared more Egyptian than Indian, I felt there had been a confusion of the two cultures. I hope ballet lovers like myself will continue to be able to see this lovely ballet performed live for many years to come.
No words for it. We are really surrounded by small people with small brain! It looks like Ballet is dying…and some artists are killing themselves…
OK, facing the new Plague has been overwhelming and disconcerting, put I see no reason to retrocede to the Middle Ages….. destroying Art will not help us to get rid of any virus !
I agree. well said. religion and art cannot co-exist. they’re like black and white, but art cannot exist without spirituality. The religious organizations will always win, bc they’re what bring about the inspiration to create the art. If only they knew – they might see it as a compliment to bring Hindu ballerinas into the ballet world or vice versa. As always research, lots of rehearsals and well intentioned thought must be put into each ballet (which it is at the international level), and I hope the classics and religious organizations stay alive for those who are hungry and courageous enough to live in the service of others. Who’s spiritual these days anyways? Do you know anyone living a spiritual life, for the good of others? Art and religion are inspirational and provide others with a creative outlet to express themselves, it would be such a shame to see these beacons of light dim each other. We must understand the differences and fight for our beliefs and sometimes the only way to go about this is to study both and choose one. I’m sorry this is happening to ballet companies, but bad press is good press for both organizations, who maybe if more people were able to study or wanted to study and fought to stay involved our world we become a better place.
I write as a patriotic Scotsman, who as a child saw the film of “Brigadoon”. Then, and now, I realised it was a ridiculous depiction of Scotland. But I don’t consider it racist or patronising. I’ve even bought the dvd! I am mature enough to accept it for what is – fictitious entertainment with excellent music and dance. If you want a really inaccurate depiction of Scotland, try ‘Braveheart’!