The famous French choreographer Marius Petipa created the ballet La Bayadere at the end of the 19th century. It tells the tragic love story of a dancer and a warrior, based on an ancient Indian legend. In those days, the East was in vogue: artists, poets and composers often turned to exotic subjects in search of inspiration.
The music for the ballet was written by the Czech composer Ludwig Minkus, who worked extensively in Russia.