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

By Mark Pullinger, 16 August 2019

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“Margarita Shrainer is petite, pert and poised as Kitri”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 15 August 2019

Don Quixote (Marius Petipa, Alexei Fadeyechev)

Bolshoi Ballet

Pavel Sorokin, Conductor

Valery Leventhal, Set Designer

Elena Zaytseva, Costume Designer

Margarita Shrainer, Dancer

Igor Tsvirko, Dancer

Alexei Loparevich, Dancer

Alexei Matrakhov, Dancer

Yuri Ostrovsky, Dancer

Ruslan Skvortsov, Dancer

Kristina Karasyova, Dancer

Anna Tikhomirova, Dancer

Antonina Chapkina, Dancer

Vera Borisenkova, Dancer

Anna Balukova, Dancer

Damir Ismagilov, Lighting Designer

Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra

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

Natalia Makarova's La Bayadère: a night to remember in Oslo

Vikki Jane Vile, 17th April

Norwegian National Ballet gives a marvellous rendition of Natalia Makarova's La Bayadère. Opening night in Oslo was a strong argument for its place in any season, displaying ballet escapism at its best.

****1

José Martínez unveils his latest Don Quichotte in Palermo

Vito Lentini, 29th March

José Martínez has envisioned a Don Quichotte that recalls the original 19th century choreography while also acknowledging some of the notable 20th century versions and it's splendid looking.

****1

Dutch National Ballet's reimagined La Bayadère triumphs

Mark Vicente, 26th March

Dutch National Ballet's new production of La Bayadère does away with the ballet’s problematic gestures and movements, allowing the choreography to truly shine.

****1

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

Mejia debuts in a sumptuous Sleeping Beauty at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 12th February

Roman Mejia and a raft of soloist debuts galvanized Peter Martins' Sleeping Beauty. An elegant production with some incidental messiness and the structural liability of a princess' dependence on a kiss.

****1

More reviews...

Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.