DON QUIXOTE
“Don Quixote”, by Ludwig Minkus, is a masterpiece of ballet. It is recognized as the pearl of the international classical repertoire. This ballet claims its rightful place in the repertoire of our troupe.The secret of the everlasting popularity of this ballet is in the multifaceted expression of the superb cascade of dances created by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky. One should not search for the ironic depth of Cervantes’ famous novel in the ballet, “Don Quixote”. The plot of “Don Quixote” serves as a perfunctory reason to present the subsequent event through a continuous kaleidoscope of dance. Even the main character of the novel becomes a secondary character in the ballet.
The corps de ballet, performing character dances, soloists who are in a variety of roles, and finally, the performers of the two main parts join together to create an atmosphere of a theatrical carnival.
Most ballet performances created by Petipa are classical dance that express the feelings of the main characters. Alexander Gorsky proposed a fundamentally new way of unfolding the group scenes for the ballet stage. The successful combination of these choreographic strategies has added intensity, passion and fervor, making “Don Quixote” an unsurpassed celebration of dance for the audience and performers.
