Don Quixote

Classical ballet in the grand Russian tradition doesn’t come much better than the Imperial Russian Ballet Company’s Don Quixote. Considered to be one of the most celebrated ballets by Marius Petipa and composer Ludwig Minkus, the work has remained a cornerstone of the classical ballet repertoire since its premiere in 1869.

Artistic Director Gediminas Taranda’s reinterpretation of Petipa’s original choreography has all the trademarks of Russian dance; strong and athletic, yet incredibly graceful and elegant.

Don Quixote is the perfect ballet with its colourful Spanish setting and costumes and its story of illusion and love. Star of the night was Lina Seveliova as Kitri. Technically superb, her interpretation was playful, coquettish, and passionate. As her partner in love, Nariman Bekzhanov was outstanding as Basilio. You could almost smell the testosterone. Together they were astonishing. Act three’s grand pas-de-deux was the piece-de-resistance and breathtakingly brilliant in its execution.

Alexandru Balan (an alternate Basilio) at this performance played Toredor Espada. He was spellbinding. I’ve never seen a dancer swirl a toreador’s cape with such precision. Anna Pashkova as Balan’s ‘street dancer’ was the perfect partner. Daniil Kolmin (Don Quixote), Denys Simon (Sancho Oanza), Nikita Nechaev (Gamache), and Vitautas Taranda made a lovable quartet of comic buffoons.

Praise must also go to the corps-de-ballet; with the girls in their blue tutus or the boys as toreadors, they all danced in that unmistakable robust Russian style. It was exhilarating! Brisbane was the first stop on the company’s Australian tour which will visit regional and capital cities up and down the Eastern states.

Peter Pinne