about

He convinced himself that he lacked nothing more, unless it was to seek a lady with whom to fall in love, for, in his eyes, a knight errant without love was a tree without leaves and without fruit; A body without a soul.

- Miguel de Cervantés, Don Quichotte

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.