Don Quixotte at Barcelona Opera House Gran Teatre Del Liceu

The American tradition of major classical ballet

A perfect marriage: the Anglo-Saxon sense of the spectacular and the exquisite sensibility of 19th century Russian ballet come together in Don Quixotte, one of Marius Petipa´s masterpieces.

«A veritable celebration of classical dance». In these words the «Washington Post» reviewer hailed the latest revival of the version of Don Quichotte which has been in the American Ballet Theatre´s repertory ever since 1978. In it Mikhail Baryshnikov made one of his last performances as the company´s leading male dancer and it embodies the high standards the troupe sets itself in preserving the legacy of the great titles of traditional European ballet. Such rigour is especially necessary in Don Quichotte, a Spanish fantasy inspired by the novel of chivalry by Miguel de Cervantes, which was premiered at Moscow´s Bolshoi Theatre in 1869 and has since become a classic that puts the technique and elegance of the finest soloists and the most distinguished companies to the test.

Since its foundation in 1940, the American Ballet Theatre has been upholding the classical ballet tradition in the United States while providing artistic patronage to the creation of new choreographies. Since 2006 is has boasted the title of National Ballet Company of America.