Ceremonial Opening of the Ballet Season – La Bayadère with Sergei Polunin
30 September 2025
The ballet season of the National Theatre in Belgrade will be officially opened on Saturday, 4th October (7:00 p.m.) on the Main Stage with the grand classical ballet La Bayadère, set to the music of Ludwig Minkus, in the choreographic staging of Russian artist Gabriela Komleva. The premiere revival of La Bayadère was performed on June 17 this year.
The audience will have an exclusive opportunity to see Sergei Polunin, one of today’s greatest international ballet stars, in the lead role of Solor, who will be performing for the first time with the entire Ballet ensemble of the National Theatre. Alongside Polunin, Sofia Matyushenskaya will play the role of Nikiya, while Tatjana Tatić will appear as Gamzatti.
Ana Pavlović, Artistic Director of the Ballet of the National Theatre, says:
“With this performance and the guest appearance of Sergei Polunin, a world-renowned artist, the Ballet of the National Theatre continues to affirm its commitment to the highest standards and to develop its repertoire looking to the future.”
Inspired by the atmosphere of ancient India, La Bayadère, in three acts, tells the story of the temple dancer Nikiya, tragically in love with the warrior Solor, who is betrothed to Gamzatti, the daughter of a powerful rajah. This Minkus’ masterpiece unites exoticism, emotion, and virtuosity into one of the most memorable classical ballets of the world repertoire.
The performance also features the ensemble and soloists of the Ballet of the National Theatre, the Orchestra under the baton of Đorđe Pavlović, and students of the ballet high schools “Lujo Davičo” and “Dimitrije Parlić.”
Sergei Polunin is one of the greatest international ballet stars and an artist whose presence has marked the global ballet scene. Born in 1989 in Kherson, he was educated at the prestigious White Lodge in London and then continued at the Royal Ballet School. At the age of nineteen, he became the youngest-ever principal dancer in the history of the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, where he performed the leading roles of the classical repertoire.
After leaving London, he appeared as principal dancer of the Ballet of the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow and the Novosibirsk State Theatre, and as guest first soloist of the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich. As the founder of the production company Polunin Ink, he has realised artistic projects (Rasputin, Romeo and Juliet, Bolero, Sacre, The Master and Margarita), performed on the world’s most prestigious stages – from the Verona Arena to the Royal Albert Hall.
He is a laureate of numerous international awards, including the Prix de Lausanne, Grand Prix at the Youth America Grand Prix, and the UK Critics' Circle National Dance Award.
