Polish National Ballet's Don Quixote: pacy, challenging and joyful

Chinara Alizade and Vladimir Yaroshenko in Don Quixote

Chinara Alizade and Polish National Ballet in Don Quixote

Chinara Alizade and Vladimir Yaroshenko in Don Quixote

Chinara Alizade and Polish National Ballet in Don Quixote

Chinara Alizade and Vladimir Yaroshenko in Don Quixote

By Graham Watts, 17 March 2023

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“comedic and camp, Gamache was dressed like an outrageous glam-rock 70s pop star”

Reviewed at Teatr Wielki: Moniuszko Hall, Warsaw on 15 March 2023

Don Quixote (Alexei Fadeyechev)

Polish National Ballet

Marta Kluczyńska, Conductor

Thomas Mika, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Orchestra of the Teatr Wielki

Chinara Alizade, Dancer

Vladimir Yaroshenko, Dancer

Natalia Pasiut, Dancer

Anastasiia Bilokon, Dancer

State Ballet of Georgia's Swan Lake: well-drilled but lacklustre

Amanda Jennings, 28th August

The State Ballet of Georgia's first visit to London has proved competent but lacking vitality. However there is plenty of talent – it just needs realising.

***11

Don Quixote opens the season with a new principal ballerina in Japan

Naomi Mori, 21st October

National Ballet of Japan's 2023/24 season opened to a very appreciative audience with Alexei Fadeyechev’s Don Quixote.

****1

A triumphant season opener for the National Ballet of Japan

Naomi Mori, 23rd October

National Ballet of Japan marks a triumphant season opening of Don Quixote with new director Miyako Yoshida, the first ballet performance in 8 months with full seating capacity audience and live orchestra. .

****1

«Дон Кихот» Большого достигает высшей точки активности

Mark Pullinger, 15th August

Дон Кто? Лучше всего забыть о Сервантесе, когда речь идет о балете «Дон Кихот», особенно о постановке Алексея Фадеечева трехлетней давности, впервые показанной в театре Ковент-Гарден в 2016

****1

Tilting at windmills: Bolshoi’s Don Quixote cranks into top gear

Mark Pullinger, 15th August

Fiery footwork from Margarita Shrainer and Igor Tsvirko kick life into Fadeyechev’s version of Don Quixote.

****1

Acosta's Don Quixote for BRB: polished but not quite enough panache

Jonathan Gray, 23rd April

Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote for Birmingham Royal Ballet returned to Sadler's Wells with polished but low-key interpretations across the board.

***11

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Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.