The Greek National Opera Ballet presents an ambitious new production of Ludwig Minkus’ Don Quixote, one of the most celebrated ballets ever created. The choreography by Thiago Bordin is based on the classic original choreography by Marius Petipa, first presented in 1869 at the Bolshoi. On for seven performances –between 26 November and 31 December 2022– inside the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Greek National Opera at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), the work is conducted by Stathis Soulis and the production is made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to enhance the GNO’s artistic outreach.
For the creation of this new Don Quixote production, GNO Ballet Director Konstantinos Rigos sought out and selected artists of global renown: the choreographer Thiago Bordin to revive the classic original choreography by Petipa, internationally acclaimed Greek set designer George Souglides for the sets, and celebrated Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou for the costumes. Working alongside them are the animator Eirini Vianelli, and lighting designer Christos Tziogkas.
Don Quixote-The StoryDon Quixote is one of the most important and popular works in the classical ballet repertoire. Guided by the singular music of Minkus, the choreography tells a story imbued with the lofty ideals of knighthood and chivalry, and never fails to touch audiences thanks to its skilful mix of comedy and romance. It is also one of the most demanding ballets in the repertoire, and considered a major challenge for classical ballet dancers due to its high level of technical difficulty – the manner in which it is performed reveals the standing of a ballet company as a whole. There is a reason why, in the classical ballet world, it is said that a company that can properly perform Don Quixote can dance anything and everything.
The work has inspired numerous choreographers and dancers across the globe, and is presented at most of the world’s opera houses each year. Don Quixote is based on episodes drawn from the renowned novel of the same title written by Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) and published across two tomes, in 1605 and 1615 respectively. The ballet’s plot, which mainly draws from the latter tome, focuses on the tempestuous love affair between Kiteria –Kitri in the ballet– and Basilio.
The adventures of Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza, meanwhile, are treated here as secondary to the action. Austrian composer Ludwig Minkus studied music in Vienna, and by the age of 20 was a violinist, composer, and orchestra conductor. A few years after immigrating to Russia, he was appointed Inspector of Orchestras to the Moscow Imperial Theatres. He composed music for a number of ballets, some of which were choreographed by Marius Petipa. At a young age, Petipa travelled to Spain, where he was particularly taken by the country’s traditional dances. With Don Quixote, Petipa sought to capture the impressions and colours of Spain, beautifully expressing its dance traditions through his choreography. The results of this Minkus – Petipa partnership immediately met with massive success, leading to Don Quixote being firmly established as a timeless masterpiece of the world ballet repertoire.
Prices: €15, €20, €30, €35, €42, €50, €55, €70 / Students, children: €12 / Limited visibility seats: €10
Date: 26, 27 Nov 2022 and 04, 23, 24, 30, 31 Dec 2022
Place: Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Greek National Opera – SNFCC, 364 Syggrou Avenue, 17674, Kallithea
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