Description
Mikhail Baryshnikov’s sparkling full-length production of Don Quixote captures all the excitement, Spanish color, and humor of Cervantes’ original masterpiece. It is one of the most popular and joyful ballets surviving from the imperial Russian ballet’s repertory. The famous virtuosic pas de deux is danced in this performance by Baryshnikov “like a dream,” according to the New York Post, “a madcap bravado which combined with his pure classicism gives his dancing an ed… More >>
Ensemble Theatre Group
Molasses Tank Productions is an ensemble theatre group that attempts to make its performances contribute in a visible way to the quality of life in both the city and the region.
Don Quixote / Baryshnikov, Harvey, American Ballet Theatre
Tue, Apr 13, 2010
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April 13th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I have seen many other versions of this ballet, but Ms. Harvey is superb. She outshown Mikail Baryshnikov. She is wonderful. I fully enjoyed the ballet, but most especially her excellent performance!
Rating: 5 / 5
April 13th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
This is athletic ballet at it’s best! Baryshnikov is a bit beyond his prime, but still incredible! Patrick Bissell is not yet dead, and exceptional.
Rating: 5 / 5
April 13th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
This video captures the extraordinary fun that Misha’s ballet was-and is. I had the great good fortune to be in the front row for its world premiere — and the video dazzles almost as much as that evening. I’m so glad it’s back in circulation! Should be in every ballet lover’s library.
Rating: 5 / 5
April 14th, 2010 at 1:54 am
This particular ballet is what hooked me on ballet. I had watched Swan Lake and was so bored that I fell asleep. Swan Lake reminds me of the philosophy “the Emperor has no clothes”. I was ready to swear off ballet until I rented Don Quixote from my local library. I fell in love with GOOD ballet as danced by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Cynthina Harvey. They are magnificent. Now it’s true, I may have only felt this way because I had been renting some really lousy ballets like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Giselle danced by some not so terrific ballet dancers.
“Don Quixote” allows for lots of solos and duos choreographed by the world’s best ballet dancer at the time. His version of Don Quixote is not one of a buffoon but a man who is mentally ill and he treats his character with great respect. I cannot find anywhere in the ballet where Mikhail show him as a buffoon. Sancho, yes, Don Quixote, no. I am in fact, right now reading the original Don Quixote. Cervantes shows Sancho as a buffoon and Don Quixote as mentally not all there. Mikhail loves to read and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that he has read Cervantes and incorporated the personality of these two characters into his “Don Quixote” ballet.
If you want to see a serious ballet, then this ballet is not for you. Mikhail makes you smile if not down right laugh at times. This ballet IS Mikhail Baryshnikov. He has surrounded himself with the very talented ABT ballet dancers and choreographs dances that make you go “bravo!” He graciously brings out the very best in them and definitely gives you the impression that he enjoys dancing with them.
Ludwig Minkus is one of my favorite composers as his music is light and humable not discordant and noisy. I found myself wanting to dance to it instead of turning it off. I thought his music was wonderful but if you want serious, discordant music, then “Don Quixote” is not for you. I recommend for you “Cinderella” with music by Sergei Prokofiev. That was one horrible ballet for me. My nerves were a mess by the time I finished listening to it. It was very discordsnt.
To end this long review, if you like Mikhail Baryshnikov, you are going to thoroughly enjoy “Don Quixote”. It’s Mikhail at his most talented. It’s not just his dancing which is terrific, but also his personality and artistic creation that shines. Well worth having for your ballet collection.
Also please don’t miss “Baryshnikov Dances Sinatra”. His apache type dance with Elaine Kudo is great. It makes me laugh out loud every time I watch the DVD. This DVD also contains “Push comes to Shove”. A ballet written for Mikhail that shows his feelings that dancing is suppose to be fun.
Gloria Hutson
Rating: 5 / 5
April 14th, 2010 at 2:00 am
This is a great video of Don Q.Beautiful technique by amazing young artists.The Dryad Fairy took my breath away….she is amazing!This video is worth every penny for anyone interested in ballet and dance, ballet students,pre professional and professional dancers alike.
Rating: 5 / 5