An unabashed celebration of dance, Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote thrills at the National Ballet of Canada

The packed house roared with approval for National Ballet of Canada’s Don Quixote, the triumphant return of this joyful tribute to all things sunny and Spanish that has been missing from the company’s repertoire since 2007. Then, it was presented in George Balanchine’s idiosyncratic 1965 version set to a modern score rather than the clicking castanets and fandango-filled rhythms of Ludwig Minkus’s 1869 confection. For its return, NB Artistic Director Hope Muir invited her former English National Ballet colleague, the great Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta, to revive his 2022 Birmingham Royal Ballet restaging of Don Quixote, itself a reworking of his 2013 version for The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden.

Marius Petipa’s 1869 ballet has often struggled to live up to its vaunted roots in Cervantes’ 17th-century novel Don Quixote de la Mancha, one of the founding works of Western literature. Its noble, chivalric, yet hopelessly unrealistic title character is sidelined in the ballet as a character role, danced here by former NB principal Rex Harrington. Don Quixote’s quest to defend his idealised vision of womanhood is somewhat lost in the thrilling succession of grand pas de deux, leaping matadors and tutu-ed dryads. In the end, it’s best to leave aside any quibbles about literary fidelity and give into a work whose main purpose is to entertain and showcase a company fully up to its virtuosic demands.

The ballet focuses on Kitri and Basilio, the classic romantic couple who must overcome her father’s desire for her to wed the wealthy fop, Gamache. As the lovers, NB principals Genevieve Penn Nabity and Harrison James left little to be desired in terms of technical thrills and exuberant characterization.

Penn Nabity was promoted to principal status after her Odette/Odile in the company’s new 2022 Swan Lake and with this Kitri, firmly establishes herself as one of the company’s stars. The character’s saucy playfulness was conveyed from her first entrance, leaping across the stage with complete abandon in a series of grand jetés. For the rest of the evening spontaneous applause greeted Penn Nabity as she delivered one thrill after another: rapid fire piqué turns; riskily suspended attitudes and the highest of extensions à la seconde.

As Basilio, James likewise threw caution to the wind, delivering on the role’s demands for vertiginous tours en l’air, extravagant one-knee landings and single-arm lifts…one held seemingly forever. Fellow principal Christopher Gerty went completely over the top in his portrayal of the uber-macho matador, Espada with his exaggerated arched-back poses and masterful manipulation of his cape. He was having fun, and the audience lapped it up.

That this is ultimately a work whose modus operandi is to celebrate the conventions of ballet is made abundantly clear in the dryads scene. Don Quixote dreams of a magic garden featuring a full female corps led by the Queen of the Dryads, a Cupid-like character, Amour, and most surprisingly, an appearance by Penn Nabity, now as Dulcinea, the Don’s idealised woman. As the Queen, first soloist Calley Skalnik excelled in the role’s elegant lyrical lines and as Amour, corps member David Preciado was suitably mischievous and virtuosic, throwing away quick travelling turns with abandon. He is surely in line for a promotion at the end of the season given his multiple eye-catching assignments this year.

It’s difficult to assess Harrington’s take on the title role given how limited are its opportunities. His characterization was a little one-note, consisting mainly of longing, far-off looks and underwhelming in terms of faux-heroics.

All manner of praise must go to the corps who shone in so many modes as frolicking townspeople, mysterious Roma or well-drilled classical fairies. Acosta demands full dramatic participation from them, even when just observing. This caused some distraction in the opening scenes where the corps is in constant, swirling movement around the principals. Special praise goes to the men who postured and preened to perfection in their matador scenes led by Spencer Hack and Larkin Miller.

Sets and costumes by Tim Hatley and lighting design by Peter Mumford were solidly traditional, yet not stale. They achieved an appropriately golden tonality that reached its apogee in the final wedding scene with its soft yellows and blossom-covered Renaissance arches.

The effect of Minkus’s tuneful score cannot be underestimated in the success of any Don Quixote. It may not be a masterpiece of subtlety but it does the job in providing infectious rhythms that demand big ovations. The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra under its Music Director and Principal Conductor David Briskin provided all of this and were rightly cheered to the rafters. The time seems just right for the return of this ‘big ballet’ staple to the company’s repertoire.