In the role of Gamzatti guest-performer will be the first soloist of the Swedish Royal Ballet Desislava Stoeva

On 19 October 2012, for the first time on the Bulgarian stage was shown the ballet masterpiece "La Bayadère". Till that moment, only the third act or shortened versions of the ballet were performed in Bulgaria. On 8 and 9 April, 10 years after the premiere on the Bulgarian stage, the ballet story about the Indian temple dancer Nikiya and her beloved Solor will be shown again at the Sofia Opera and Ballet. To the premier soloists Marta Petkova, Nikola Hadjitanev, Boryana Petrova and Ttsetso Ivanov will join the first soloist of the Swedish Royal Ballet Desislava Stoeva, who will perform the role of the Raja's daughter – Gamzatti. Choreography – Marius Petipa, editors – Pavel Stalinski, conductor – Boris Spasov.

"La Bayadère" was first staged in 1877 by the French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus at the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg.The ballet was created especially for the benefit of Yekaterina Vazem, prima ballerina at the theatre in St. Petersburg.

The oriental theme was often touched upon in ballet in the 19^th century. "La Bayadère" is perhaps the most famous classical ballet with an exotic theme. In fact, it is the essence of the romantic notion that the Europeans of the time had of the East.

Regardless the fact that the plot of the ballet takes place in India, Ludwig Minkus’s music makes no gesture to the traditional forms of Indian dance and music. Although some parts of Minkus's score contain melodies that refer to the Orient, it is still a clear example of the music that was created and liked in the second half of the 19^th century. In the same way, Petipa's choreography contains various elements that transport the spectator to the oriental setting of the East, but not once does the choreographer deviate from the canon of classical ballet.

The ballet "La Bayadère" was not staged in Western Europe until 1961, when it appeared on the Paris stage. Two years later, Rudolf Nureyev staged for the Royal Ballet in London, the third act considered a masterpiece in corps de ballet – "Kingdom of the Shadows". The role of Nikiya was performed by Margot Fonteyn. The premiere was an enormous success and is considered one of the most important moments in the history of ballet art.