Ballet

Don Quichotte

Rudolf Noureev

Opéra Bastille

from 11 December 2017 to 06 January 2018

2h50 with 2 intervals

Don Quichotte

Opéra Bastille - from 11 December 2017 to 06 January 2018

Synopsis

Inspired by the choreography of Marius Petipa, Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote is a veritable festival of dance, displaying the excellence of the soloists and the Corps de Ballet in a wide variety of ensembles and pas de deux. At the heart of the ballet, the lovers Kitri and Basilio use every ruse, from puppet shows to fake suicide, to see each other despite Kitri’s father’s opposition. Ultimately, after battling with windmills and encountering Cupid, Dulcinea and the Queen of the Dryads, it is the Chevalier de la Mancha who brings about the happy end. Flamboyant costumes with a Spanish air contribute to the brilliance of this joyful work.

Duration : 2h50 with 2 intervals

Artists

Ballet in a prologue and three acts

Choreography after Marius Petipa

Creative team

Cast

  • Saturday 09 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Monday 11 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Wednesday 13 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Thursday 14 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Friday 15 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Sunday 17 December 2017 at 14:30
  • Tuesday 19 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Wednesday 20 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Friday 22 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Sunday 24 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Monday 25 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Wednesday 27 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Thursday 28 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Saturday 30 December 2017 at 19:30
  • Tuesday 02 January 2018 at 19:30
  • Wednesday 03 January 2018 at 19:30
  • Thursday 04 January 2018 at 19:30
  • Friday 05 January 2018 at 19:30
  • Saturday 06 January 2018 at 19:30

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Latest update 02 January 2018, cast is likely to change.

Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet
Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris

17 December 2017: Matinée “Rêve d’enfants”
Gala in aid of the educational programme Dix Mois d’Ecole et d’Opéra of the Paris Opera Academy
Ticket prices and bookings for this date only : +33 1 58 18 65 10
revedenfants.fr

Media

  • Podcast Don Quichotte

    Podcast Don Quichotte

    Listen the podcast

  • The tutu, queen of dance costumes

    The tutu, queen of dance costumes

    Read the article

  • Kitri’s variation: between folklore and seduction

    Kitri’s variation: between folklore and seduction

    Read the article

  • Octave’s holiday season playlist

    Octave’s holiday season playlist

    Read the article

Podcast Don Quichotte

Listen the podcast

"Dance! Sing! 7 minutes at the Paris Opera" - by France Musique

07 min

Podcast Don Quichotte

By Stéphane Grant, France Musique

"Dance! Sing! 7 minutes at the Paris Opera" offers original incursions into the season thanks to broadcasts produced by France Musique and the Paris Opera. For each opera or ballet production, Judith Chaine (opera) and Stéphane Grant (dance), present the works and artists you are going to discover when you attend performances in our theatres.  

© Eléna Bauer / OnP

The tutu, queen of dance costumes

Read the article

An interview with Martine Kahane and Anne-Marie Legrand

02 min

The tutu, queen of dance costumes

By Anna Schauder

As the year draws to a close, Don Quichotte marks the return of shimmering tutus to the stage of the Opéra Bastille. First introduced at the Paris Opera and consecrated with La Sylphide in 1832, the tutu has become emblematic of the classical ballerina. Rudolf Nureyev told his dancers they needed to “wear the tutu”, in the sense that they should assume the costume and learn how to present it to the audience’s gaze. But what is the story behind the tutu that made it synonymous with the ballerina? We talked to Martine Kahane, former director of the Paris Opera’s Library-Museum, and Anne-Marie Legrand, in charge of the Palais Garnier’s Atelier flou*.

The word “tutu” only entered current usage around 1881. Where did the term originate?

Martine Kahane: The term “tutu” has three possible origins, although none of them have been confirmed. First of all, we think it may refer to the costume’s double layer of tulle. However, “Tutu” could also be interpreted as an endearing term for a young girl's behind. Then again, the word may find its root in the suggestive expression “panpan tutu” (a French term for a spanking) used jokingly by the Opera’s subscribers in days gone by.


How did the tutu come into being?

M.K.: It marks a stage in the evolution of dance costumes. If we go back to the costumes for the court ballets, we can see they tried all types of costumes made out of fabrics somewhat on the heavy side. The advent of the tutu is also interwoven with the history of textiles: as time passed, court, civil and stage costumes all became increasingly lighter—until the Victorian era would once again constrain women with starched, high-neck collars, long floor-length skirts and long, tight-fitting sleeves.

Essentially speaking, the advent of the tutu in the 1830s coincided with an extremely rich artistic environment. Initially—and particularly in the case of La Sylphide—the romantic tutu resembled a summer dress, falling to mid-calf, with a modest décolleté and little “balloon” sleeves. With the passage of time, the dress would become shorter and take on greater volume. The sleeves would disappear and the décolleté become ever more pronounced. Finally, decorative elements would be added to the bustier and the platter to result in the tutu we know today—that is to say, a shorter one which facilitates the movement of the legs and the upper body. The fantasy value of the tutu would be such that long, short, and straight versions of the tutu would follow.    

Marie Taglioni entourée des danseuses Carlotta Grisi, Lucile Grahn et Fanny Cerrito en 1846
Marie Taglioni entourée des danseuses Carlotta Grisi, Lucile Grahn et Fanny Cerrito en 1846 © AKG Images

What image of a woman was moulded by the different artistic and literary movements of the 19th century?

M.K.: In the eyes of many of the great romantic artists, the world had been spoiled by materialism and they would strive to make it a magical place again. All the artistic movements would conjure up mysterious creatures, ethereal women who existed more as spirits than actual creatures of flesh and blood. A woman was neither a wife nor a mother: she was an eternal fiancée, who, just as in love, could only find fulfilment in death. A woman was condemned to wear white, the colour of purity. Henriette de Mortsauf, the heroine in Honoré de Balzac’s Lys dans la vallée, is testimony to the quasi-equivalence between literary heroines and the female characters in romantic ballets.

   

What were the reasons for the transition from the (longer) romantic tutu to the (shorter) academic one?

M.K.: The entire history of the dance costume is linked to technique and body developments, in turn linked to the canons of beauty and to health and decency. As the movement of the arms and legs became more pronounced, there was a desire to show more of the body in order to better highlight the technique. This would ultimately lead to the leotard, the symbol of a completely liberated body. With the increased popularity of sport, a healthy body became something that needed to be shown off. Finally, cinema also changed our notions of acceptable behaviour as well as our relationship with the body: given that the body is not physically in front of the audience, the actress, like the spectator, could free herself of many things. Of course, tutus also got shorter after the First World War, as they did again after the Second due to the fact that raw materials were so hard to come by.


What types of academic tutus were made when you first arrived at the Atelier Flou?

Anne-Marie Legrand: When I arrived at the Paris Opera in 1982, they were still making "cerclette" tutus. Up until then, they had epitomised the Paris Opera’s style. These were comprised of a band of tulle which in turn was gathered and inserted into the centre of the flounces to reinforce the tutu and ensure its durability. The process that went into making them was a jealously-guarded secret and, at the time, it was only passed on by word of mouth. We could not be trained outside the studio. When Rudolf Nureyev arrived, he asked us to make "galette" tutus for Raymonda (1983), Swan Lake (1984) and La Bayadère (1992) among others. Compared to the "cerclette" tutus, the amount of tulle used for each flounce is far greater. The platters are larger, which gives the dancer a wider port de bras. By rule of thumb, the radius of the tutu should correspond to the length of the dancer’s arms so that the latter can touch the rim with her fingertips.   
Dorothée Gilbert (Cupidon) dans Don Quichotte, Opéra Bastille 2017
Dorothée Gilbert (Cupidon) dans Don Quichotte, Opéra Bastille 2017 © Svetlana Loboff / OnP

Other than not having a cerclette, how can you differentiate a g lette tutu from a cerclette tutu?

A-M. L. : The galette tutu is heavier than a cerclette tutu, due to the greater density of tulle. For current productions, we’ve gone from thirteen to eleven flounces for reasons related to production time, weight and cost. The edges can be straight or denticulated. You can identify these by the hand-cut ruffles which are also a characteristic of the galette tutus of Rudolf Nureyev's times.

   

What are the principal stages in the making of a tutu?

A-M. L. : A tutu is composed of a trousse (a term used for the panties) onto which we sew the flounces, from the shortest to the longest (11 to 13 flounces). We then fit a yoke approximately 6-cm high on top. When that operation is complete, the tutu resembles a large rosette. The whole thing is then “banded” by a multitude of long, loose, hand-sewn stitches which constrain the garment and give the tutu that “pancake” shape which we called a tulle platter. Then, depending on the artistic specifications, it can be trimmed with lace, pearls, sequins, etc.… as per the designer’s inspiration. Finally, we add the bustier, which completes the costume. Due to the large number of flounces, a tutu with a so-called “English” tulle platter requires a longer production time: approximately three and a half days, whereas the skirting for a romantic tutu with four flounces only takes a day and a half to complete.    

*The Atelier flou is the workshop responsible for making the women’s costumes (at the Palais Garnier, it makes costumes for the ballet productions, and at the Opéra Bastille costumes for the lyric ones).

© Svetlana Loboff / OnP

Kitri’s variation: between folklore and seduction

Read the article

Dissection of a step: Episode #5

03 min

Kitri’s variation: between folklore and seduction

By Octave

Making a break with the supernatural aspects of Romanticism, Don Quichotte recounts with humour the thwarted loves between the barber Basilo and Kitri, the innkeeper’s young daughter. In 1981, inspired by the spirit of the Commedia dell’arte, Rudolf Nureyev passed on a cheerfully amusing and energetic work to the Paris Opera Ballet. He further strengthened the ballet’s comic action and accentuated the swirling, giddying rhythm of the choreography. From the moment she enters on stage, the beautiful Kitri sets the tone. Spanish folklore and brilliant bows combine to create dazzling dance. In the rehearsal studio, Étoile dancer Dorothée Gilbert and coach Monique Loudières re-explore the fiery colours of the ballet.

The step (diaporama)

Variation de Kitri : entre folklore et séduction
Variation de Kitri : entre folklore et séduction 20 images

The step in video

© Jean-Pierre Delagarde / OnP

Octave’s holiday season playlist

Read the article

Music

01 min

Octave’s holiday season playlist

By Octave

For your Xmas and New Year holidays, Octave has chosen excerpts from Puccini's La Bohème and from Don Quichotte by Minkus, along with a piece by composer Mikael Karlsson and songs from Gospel singer Gospel Callie Day, both on the bill of Play.

  • Don Quichotte - Basilio (Germain Louvet)
  • Lumière sur : L' Étoile Ludmila Pagliero
  • Lumière sur : les coulisses de Don Quichotte
  • Don Quichotte - Kitri (Léonore Baulac)
  • Don Quichotte - The Queen of the Dryads (Alice Renavand)
  • Don Quichotte (Rudolf Noureev) - Extrait (Ludmila Pagliero)
  • Don Quichotte - Rudolf Noureev

  • Don Quichotte - Extrait 1

  • Don Quichotte - Extrait 2

  • Don Quichotte - Acte 1

  • Don Quichotte - Acte 2

Access and services

Opéra Bastille

Place de la Bastille

75012 Paris

Public transport

Underground Bastille (lignes 1, 5 et 8), Gare de Lyon (RER)

Bus 29, 69, 76, 86, 87, 91, N01, N02, N11, N16

Calculate my route
Car park

Q-Park Opéra Bastille 34, rue de Lyon 75012 Paris

Book your parking spot

In both our venues, discounted tickets are sold at the box offices from 30 minutes before the show:

  • €25 tickets for under-28s, unemployed people (with documentary proof less than 3 months old) and senior citizens over 65 with non-taxable income (proof of tax exemption for the current year required)
  • €40 tickets for senior citizens over 65

Get samples of the operas and ballets at the Paris Opera gift shops: programmes, books, recordings, and also stationery, jewellery, shirts, homeware and honey from Paris Opera.

Opéra Bastille
  • Open 1h before performances and until performances end
  • Get in from within the theatre’s public areas
  • For more information: +33 1 40 01 17 82

Opéra Bastille

Place de la Bastille

75012 Paris

Public transport

Underground Bastille (lignes 1, 5 et 8), Gare de Lyon (RER)

Bus 29, 69, 76, 86, 87, 91, N01, N02, N11, N16

Calculate my route
Car park

Q-Park Opéra Bastille 34, rue de Lyon 75012 Paris

Book your parking spot

In both our venues, discounted tickets are sold at the box offices from 30 minutes before the show:

  • €25 tickets for under-28s, unemployed people (with documentary proof less than 3 months old) and senior citizens over 65 with non-taxable income (proof of tax exemption for the current year required)
  • €40 tickets for senior citizens over 65

Get samples of the operas and ballets at the Paris Opera gift shops: programmes, books, recordings, and also stationery, jewellery, shirts, homeware and honey from Paris Opera.

Opéra Bastille
  • Open 1h before performances and until performances end
  • Get in from within the theatre’s public areas
  • For more information: +33 1 40 01 17 82

Partners

  • With the support of AROP

  • Sponsor of the Paris Opera initiatives for young people and of the avant-premières

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