Ridgefield to Screen Bolshoi Ballet's LA BAYADERE

La Bayadere is one of the greatest works in classical ballet history - a story of love, death and vengeful judgment, set in India. The Bolshoi Ballet's performance will be captured live in HD Sunday, January 20 and will be shown simultaneously at The Ridgefield Playhouse at 12:55pm. Featuring dazzling sets and costumes, with one of the most iconic scenes in ballet, the "Kingdom of the Shades," La Bayadere illuminates the tragic tale of the temple dancer Nikia's doomed love for the warrior Solor, and their ultimate redemption. Pavel Sorokin conducts. This event is sponsored by Atria Senior Living Classical Series with support from Whistle Stop Bakery, underwritten by Jeanne Cook, Liz & Steven Goldstone, and Sabina & Walter Slavin. Tickets are free for students under

Young warriors led by Solor are hunting a tiger. Before entering the forest Solor asks a fakir, named Magedaveya, to tell Nikia, a bayadere, that he will wait for her near the temple. The High Brahmin and priests are solemnly leaving the temple. The feast of worshipping fire begins. Fakirs and votaries of the temple, bayaderes, are performing sacred dances. Beautiful Nikia is among them. She adorns the festival. Having forgotten about his ordination and vow of celibacy, the High Brahmin tells Nikia that he loves her and promises to place at her feet all the riches of India. Nikia rejects his wooing. She will never love him. But, the temple dancer Nikia and the warrior Solor fall deeply in love, igniting heated passions and murderous intrigues when the Rajah and his daughter Gamzatti discover their forbidden love.

The Bolshoi Ballet ("Great Ballet" in Russian) is the leading ballet company of Russia, famous for elaborately staged productions of the classics and children's ballets that preserve the traditions of 19th-century classical dance. The Ridgefield Playhouse offers free tickets to The Bolshoi Ballet in HD series to students 18 and younger as a way for parents to introduce their children to the arts. Free tickets are also available to students 18 and younger for LIVE and Encore HD screenings of The Metropolitan Opera and National Theatre of London.

For tickets ($25 | Members & Seniors $20 | Students $15 | FREE for students 18 and under with ID), call or visit the box office, 203-438-5795 or go online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.