The Rome Opera House returns to La Bayadère, choreographed by Benjamin Pech.

After the success of The Nutcracker by Paul Chalmer, the Ballet Season of the Rome Opera House goes on
from February 3 to 8, 2026 with the revival of another production that has received great acclaim, The Bayadèreis in the choreographic version of Benjamin Pech, created in 2023 specifically for the Lirico Capitolino. 

"It's an epic ballet, a true epic» declares the French choreographer, an ambitious production that makes use of the sets designed by the versatile Catalan artist Ignasi Monreal, of the costumes of Anna Biagiotti and the lights curated by Vinicio Cheli. On the podium, leading the’Rome Opera Orchestra, the French director Fayçal Karoui, a specialist in the ballet repertoire.

"This production is a real challenge – Pech continues – which involves, together with the guests, the dancers of the Ballet Company and the students of the Dance School, all those who work in the shadows, behind the scenes engaged in the numerous scene changes". 

Intrigues of love, jealousy and betrayal are at the heart of the magnificent ballet set to music by Ludwig Minkus, conceived in 1877 from Marius Petipa for the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg. Inspired by the Indian poem Sakuntala of Kalidasa, tells the story of the beautiful bayadère Nikiya, secret lover of the warrior prince Solor who will betray her by marrying the cruel and jealous one Gamzatti, daughter of the Rajah.

Pech's reading, assisted for this revival of the choreography by Isabelle Guérin and Hervé Courtain, transports spectators to a timeless, exotic world, an elegantly contemporary dreamlike universe.

Four international guests have been called to play the roles of Nikija and Solor: the étoiles of the Paris Opera and the Korean Sae Eun Park and the French Paul Marque (February 3 and 5) both debuting at the Costanzi; the Principal Dancer of the Staatsballett Berlin Iana Salenko and the Principal Dancer of the Astana Opera Bakhtiyar Adamzhan (February 4, 6 and 7 at 8 pm).

The prima ballerina also dances in the role of the bayadère and her lover. Marianna Suriano is Matthias Tortora (7.15pm, 8 February), while the cruel Gamzatti, Solor's future wife, is played by the star Susanna Salvi (3, 5, 7 at 3pm and 8 February) and by the first ballerina Federica Maine (February 4, 6 and 7 at 8 pm); in the role of the Golden Idol, the first dancer Simone Agrò (3, 5, 7 at 8pm and 8 February) and Gabriele Consoli (February 4, 6, and 7 at 3 pm).

Benjamin Pech, a former dancer, star of the Paris Opera, grew up with La Bayadère and saw Rudolph Nureyev work on this title, the artist's last creation for the Parisian company, shortly before his death. 

Also linked to Nureyev's artistic legacy Sae Eun Park, who received the nomination as étoile at the Opera Ballet in 2021 with the Romeo and Juliet of Nureyev, and the French Paul Marque, appointed étoile of the Opéra in 2020 La Bayadère by Nureyev in the role of the Golden Idol.

"After Swan Lakei – tells Pech - Eleonora Abbagnato suggested I consider a second choreographic work for the company. The idea of reinterpreting La Bayadère came naturally, it became a necessity. Knowing these ballets – concludes the choreographer – It's important to know where we come from and understand where we're going. Adapting them to today's world is a way to keep them alive, because they must continue to exist.".