Ballet in a prologue and four acts premiered in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater, December 14th 1869,  in a choreography by Marius Petipa

Libretto by Marius Petipa from the Miguel de Cervantes’ novel, El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha

 

New version in a prologue and three acts

 

Ludwig Minkus music

Kader Belarbi choreography and staging

Emilio Carcano sets

Sophie Kitching assistant to the set designer

Joop Stokvis costumes

Vinicio Cheli lights

 

Ballet du Capitole

Kader Belarbi direction

 

Duration - 2h 35

Act I - 50 min.

Interval - 20 min.

Act II - 40 min.

Interval - 15 min.

Act III - 30 min.

 

The plot of Don Quixote focuses on the thwarted love affairs of the beautiful Kitri and her lover Basilio, with moments of bravery and humorous scenes. In his new version in a prologue and three acts, Kader Belarbi wants to put back in their proper place the eponymous hero of these adventures, the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance, and his faithful squire Sancho Panza.

Inspired by some vivid episodes of the novel by Cervantes, the choreographer invites us to follow in delusions of grandeur, between real and imaginary, the traces of Don Quixote, helmet tied up and lance in hand, riding his steed Rocinante. And as Sancho Panza says, « it is with crickets in the head » that the ingenious Hidalgo leads us into visions and wanderings between ladies to save and giants to beat down.