Hindus are urging Opéra national de Paris (France) to not include ballet “La Bayadère” in its repertoire, which they feel seriously trivializes Eastern religious and other traditions.

 

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that taxpayer-funded Opéra national de Paris should not be in the business of callously promoting appropriation of traditions, elements and concepts of “others”; and ridiculing entire communities.

 

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated that this deeply problematic ballet was just a blatant belittling of a rich civilization and exhibited 19th-century orientalist attitudes.

 

Ballet companies should show some maturity before selecting a ballet like “La Bayadère” (The Temple Dancer) displaying Western caricaturing of Eastern heritage and abetting ethnic stereotyping, Rajan Zed noted.

 

It was highly irresponsible for a prestigious national organization to reportedly continue to include in its repertoire such a ballet which had been blamed for patronizing flawed mishmash of orientalist stereotypes, dehumanizing cultural portrayal and misrepresentation, offensive and degrading elements, needless appropriation of cultural motifs, essentialism, shallow exoticism, caricaturing, etc. Opéra national de Paris, whose history goes back to 1669, could do better than this to serve the multi-cultural audiences, Zed stated.

 

Rajan Zed suggested Opéra national de Paris board and management to re-evaluate its systems and procedures and send their executives for cultural sensitivity training so that such an inappropriate stuff did not slip through in the future.

 

Moreover, corporate sponsors like Rolex (Swiss luxury watches), which claims of making “unique and lasting contribution to global culture”, should re-think before sponsoring such ballets, Zed added.

 

Like many others, Hindus also consider ballet as one of the revered art forms which offers richness and depth. But we are well into 21^st century now, and outdated “La Bayadère”, which was first presented in St. Petersburg (Russia) in 1877, is long overdue for permanent retirement from the world stage, including from Opéra national de Paris; Rajan Zed points out.