Unhappily there is only one video of La Bayadere available in the U.K. However it is the Nureyev version with the Paris Opera. It was staged in 1992 shortly before he died so it is seen as his swansong. But I do think some of the hype surrounding it is not justified. Compared with our Royal Ballet version, it omits the last act (it has been lost and Nureyev chose not to recreate it) and there are more dances in the betrothal scene. Otherwise it is the same ballet. In fact the all-important Shade scene, the scene that saves this ballet from obscurity, is identical.

But that is not say this production is mediocre. Far from it - it is a very good production. Best of all are the stunning sets and costumes by Enzo Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino. Like the Royal Ballet costumes and sets, they are utterly inauthentic. But there is less of the Hollywood kitchiness and lurid harem style. They are remarkably fresh and original. In fact I think they are the best I have seen in any ballet production.

Isabel Guerin (Nikiya) and Laurent Hilaire (Solar) are very strong in their respective roles. Guerin is very much the archtypical French-trained dancer. Her balances are superb and her line has a steely perfection to it. It comes as no surprise that she has guested with the New York City Ballet. Perhaps her technique is more suited to Balanchine then Petipa. I thought she did not have the vulnerability and gentleness that is appropriate to this role. But definitely from the neck downwards she is an absolute pleasure to watch. Her legwork in the shade scene is marvellous

Laurent Hilaire is a very powerful dancer with awesome leaps and great stage presence. He is one of the most perfect danseurs nobles in the world today.

Surprisingly the role of Gamzatti is downplayed in this production. She does not have the spectacular jumps and extension that you see in most other productions. That said, Elizabeth Platel makes the most of this limited role. It is her superb stage presence that makes her unforgettable.

The other superb performance is that of Agnes Letestu as the first shade. In it she displays extension so high and straight only Sylvie Guillem can do better. She has deservedly just been promoted to Etoile this year. I think she is a dancer who is going places.

The great shade scene can never succeed on the small screen. The mass corps scene is hardly worth watching. This is a shame because I do believe that the French corps is the best in the world. They are unmatched in their precision and uniformity. In this production, 8 columns of girls were on the stage as opposed to the 6 for the RB. They were bathed in a beautiful blue light. But it is a scene that must be seen live to truly appreciate.

The main weakness is not in the dancing but in the TV camera work. The vast stage of the Palais Garnier was never going to be easily captured on TV. However Alexandre Tartra - the director makes things worse by panning out too much and not showing enough close ups. Panning out is disastrous on the big stage- the full stage view made the dancers look like ants. The consequence is that most of the betrothal scene is under-whelming. But the most serious and inexcusable directorial error is in the second pas de deux in the shade scene. The poor camera angle and the excessive panning results in Guerin being lost among the back drop of the other shades. It is a real shame because it was one of the pivotal pas de deux - but here it might just have been cut out!

American ballet fans have the choice of the Royal Ballet version (with Darcey Bussell and Altynai Asylmuratova) and the 1977 Kirov version with Gabriella Komleva and Tatiana Terehkova. Both are on the Kultur label (www.kulturvideo.com)

The Royal ballet version benefits from the sensuous and luminous presence of Asylmuratova. The Kirov version has the amazing Tatiana Terehkova as Gamzatti. She is so spectacular in her solos you will be rooting for her and not Nikiya. It is also unusual for the very fast tempi taken by the conductor.

Sadly as far as I know the Nureyev production is not available in the USA.

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