Ruth Leon recommends … a different Don Quixote
Ruth Leon recommendsDon Quixote – Dutch National Ballet
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Don Q, as it is familiarly known to dancers and ballet lovers alike, has a very silly story which matters not in the least because it has been, for more than 100 years, one of the most popular ballets in every major company’s repertoire. This version is by Alexei Ratmansky, inspired, of course, by Marius Petipa’s original libretto from the 1860s, touched up by him in 1871, and loosely, very loosely, based on Cervantes’ classic novel. This incarnation was made for the Dutch National Ballet and stars Anna Tsygankova and Matthew Golding.
It is a dazzling display of high spirits, virtuosity and Spanish temperament. The flamboyant leaps, dizzying pirouettes and crisp pointe work show off the dancers’ technical prowess and exuberance. The music is by Ludwig Minkus, who also wrote the score for La Bayadere.
I’ll recommend this, too. It’s a bit of fluff, but this company is really something at its best. The great, great days of the wonderful Rudi Van Dantzig are gone, but a Ratmansky production is usually very good value.