Madhu Patel
CHICAGO: Indians Americans across the country welcomed Houston Ballet for understanding the concerns of the community by not including ballet “La Bayadère” in its 2021-2022 season deemed trivializing Eastern religious and other traditions.
They had protested urging Houston Ballet to withdraw “La Bayadère” from the 2020-2021 season and the performance was ultimately cancelled due to reasons related to COVID-19 pandemic.
Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, thanked Houston Ballet for keeping out this deeply problematic ballet, which was just a blatant belittling of a rich civilization and exhibited 19th-century orientalist attitudes Trustees Stanton Welch is urged to permanently drop “La Bayadère” from Houston Ballet repertoire.
Houston Ballet, an “anti-racist organization” funded by City of Houston and sponsored by United Airline finally realized that it could do better than this to serve the diverse Houston area communities.
The Nutcracker, which was also part of cancelled 2020-2021 season, has however been included in the 2021-2022 season.
Globally reaching non-profit Houston Ballet, opened in 1955 and which calls itself “world-class company”; has reportedly evolved into a company of 61 dancers with a budget of $33.9 million and an endowment of $79.2 million; and having the largest professional dance facility in America named “Center for Dance”.
