The enduring popularity of Don Quixote as a ballet is owed to Marius Petipa, the great dance architect of 19th century Russian Imperial ballet. He was by no means the first choreographer to turn to Cervantes’ novel for inspiration but in utilising his own brief experience of dancing in Spain, this French choreographer gave Russia the ballet equivalent of a tourist’s picture postcard.
Fast forward almost 150 years and José Carlos Martínez effectively reclaimed the ballet for Spain, in his 2015 iteration for Compañía Nacional de Danza in Madrid (where Martínez was artistic director from 2011-19). Now leading Paris Opera Ballet, he has revived his cute homespun interpretation for this premiere by the ballet company of the National Theatre in Brno.
Don Quixote makes serious demands of any company, requiring significant strength in ensemble depth and it felt like a timely statement for the Brno company, under the artistic leadership of Mário Radačovský, to bring the ballet back into its repertoire after an absence of 30 years. It was a gamble that paid off handsomely!
In his refreshingly uncomplicated staging, Martínez has translated Don Q from a Franco-Russian perspective to one that has been indelibly forged in Madrid, as a ballet that respects rather than parodies Spanish culture. He commissioned Spanish choreographer, Mayte Chico to create an excellent ensemble fandango and a bolero (the women in richly layered dresses) for the jubilant final act, with imagery that was regularly accented by flamenco. Ludwig Minkus’ flamboyant score was given a flourishing account under the conducting of Ondrej Olos.
To have presented this image of Spain to a Spanish audience, it had to bear authenticity, which it does in spades, thanks also to the excellent set and costume designs of Iñaki Cobos Guerrero. The vibrant painted front cloth of a field full of windmills got everyone in the right mood from the get-go and another clever touch was to have performers tour the public areas during the second interval handing out invitations to attend the wedding of Gamache and Kitri (the former, of course, being supplanted in the actual ceremony by Kitri’s true love, Basilio)!
These lead roles of Kitri and Basilio were taken by two significant guests from Dutch National Ballet, respectively Anna Tsygankova and Giorgi Potskhishvili, who brought the wow factor with them from Amsterdam. Tsygankova is 45 while her partner is not yet 24 but that age difference is never apparent, and in any event such a cocktail of experience and exuberance has served ballet well (we can look at Fonteyn and Nureyev to bear witness). With her trademark kiss curl, Tsygankova looked exactly as one might imagine the ingenue, Kitri.
Their individual strengths were prominently showcased: Tsygankova held her balances en pointe until the crowd erupted in spontaneous applause; while Potskhishvili pirouetted with such velocity that I’m surprised the floor didn’t need repairing after the show; jumping with immense height and holding those one-armed presage lifts with impressive strength. He has the dashing handsomeness of a silver screen idol, like Ramon Novarro, his slick black hair falling into a floppy fringe.
Brno’s own Cuban principals, Adrian Sánchez and Chanell Cabrera, were no less scintillating at the second premiere on the following evening. Martínez has choreographed a softer, romantic pas de deux for the lovers as the opening of Act 2 in which their mutual intimacy glowed. An entirely different dynamic but just as exciting. On the opening night, Sánchez gave a preview of his Cuban virtuosity with an explosive cameo as the toreador, Espada with Izabela Graciková as the exciting street dancer, Mercedes.
The strength of the Brno ensemble was amply demonstrated throughout an exceptional cast. Shoma Ogasawara impressed in the powerful Gypsy solo and Anna Yeh was suitably sprightly as a cute Cupid (and alongside Momona Sakakibara as Kitri’s synchronised friends). Ogasawara and Sakakibara will debut as Basilio and Kitri in a later cast. Hugo Martinez portrayed Sancho Panza without the usual rotundness, as an accident-prone and excitable squire to an imposing and honourable Don Quixote (Dillon Perry) who is horseless in this interpretation. Nanaka Ogawa lit up the stage as Dulcinea (and it was a delight to see Ksenia Ovsyanick, now a resident in Brno, give a sublime interpretation as the Queen of the Dryads in the second cast).
With a reduction of the cartoonish comedic elements of Don Quixote and his squire, the farcical side of the ballet is mostly vested in the role of Gamache with elaborate coiffured orange hair and outrageous popinjay costumes, including huge bows on his shoes (one of which disappeared in the final scene). The hilarity of this characterisation was well exemplified by João Gomes.
There is an undeniable excitement about this company, both on and offstage. The National Theatre of Brno has long been regarded as the hotspot of Czech opera (it performs, after all, in the theatre named after Leoš Janáček) but, on this evidence, the ballet company is building a similar reputation.
Graham's trip was funded partially by Brno National Theatre Ballet
