DON CHISCIOTTE at Teatro Verdi

On the accessible notes of Minkus, the adventures of Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza intertwine, or rather provide the pretext for a love story and an evening of sparkling ballet. From chases, tricks and disguises, the young Kitri and Basilio the barber will fulfil their dream; Don Quixote will fight the windmills and dance with his Dulcinea in the dream of an enchanted garden. There is a hint of a comical pièce from the Commedia dell’Arte in this carefree ballet, amidst Spanish folklore, gypsy dances and the suspended candour of the Kingdom of the Dryads. Glittering and full of character, Don Quixote requires superb technique in the variations, especially in the final gran pas de deux that celebrates the triumph of love: a true test of the talent of every étoile.