“Don Quixote ”
The Bolshoi Ballet
Opera House
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, DC, USA
February 24 evening and February 25 matinee, 2007
by Alexandra Tomalonis
copyright ©2007, Alexandra Tomalonis
If one looks at the Kennedy Center’s ballet programs for the past decade, one might conclude that “Romeo and Juliet” (any version) and Petipa/Gorsky's “Don Quixote” were the great ballets of the age, they’ve been danced so frequently. The Bolshoi’s superb production has played the Center three times in the last few years (not forgetting their recent performance of the ballet at Wolf Trap). Even if one is curious to see other works in the company’s repertory (why didn’t we get “Bright Stream”????), the production is so fine its return was welcome. The Bolshoi owns “Don Q.” Petipa choreographed the ballet on the Bolshoi nearly 140 years ago and it’s been through as many hands as it has steps since, yet the company obviously still relishes dancing it. At present, under the leadership of director Alexei Ratmansky, the Bolshoi has ample stars and able soloists, and the “Don Qs” on view here were not only well–danced, the story clearly told, it was alive.
