The story of Don Quixote as a ballet has little to do with the original conception. Periodically the Cervantes caricature of chivalry dodders through the action, but isn’t really an essential part of it. The ballet could very well stand alone as a comedy of true love triumphing over a father only interested in marrying off his daughter to another caricature - the rather old, rather foolish, rich man of the village. All three - the father, the presumptive rich groom and the Don - belong to the past; true love is the future. Along the way we have the opportunity for a great deal of wonderful dance.

Premiering in 1869 with Master Choreographer M. Petipa, the legendary Bolshoi Ballet, and with many other versions and revisions, the ballet has remained a favorite in the classical repertoire. One of the most famous pas de deux in all of ballet occurs in Don Quixote - a test of technical skill and flair for all who essay to dance it. However, when presented by itself as part of a gala show piece program - as it often is - one doesn’t get to see this jewel as it should be seen.

City Ballet of San Diego, celebrating the close of its fifteenth season as it fulfills the hopes and plans of its founders, Steven and Elizabeth Wistrich; is performing one full length classical ballet after another as well as the works of the foremost choreographers of our time such as Balanchine. Straddling these two worlds - closely allied but requiring different approaches - is necessary if one wishes to be counted among classical ballet companies of worth and note. City Ballet has been more than successful thus far.

Artistic Director, Steven Wistrich, undertook the character role of Don Quixote and played him not at all as the doddering fool he is too often presented to be. Wistrich played him with old elegance - the elegance of Wistrich’s own very fine training visible in his every gesture of hand and arm. The princely roles of the classical ballets may be behind him, but the beauty of his hands and arms, the placement of a foot - albeit encased within a character shoe rather than a ballet slipper - made the Don a true knight. He may have been out of his time, but because Wistrich made him a vehicle for dreaming of what had once been, not a cause for laughter, one could join the knight in his dream.

First my constant complaint - seemingly with every ballet company I’ve seen lately including the most renowned in the world - where oh where is the color? Why the constant persistence in earth tones - mauve - tan - brown - ecru? What happened to blazing red? Vibrant green? Sunshine yellow? Orange? The blue of a cloudless sky? Peasants may have worn muted colors in the fields - but not for festivals - or weddings. I wanted Kitri’s dress to be red. Mercedes dress - though red - was a dark almost black-red. It’s hard to imagine Spanish folk dress in dim colors.

Well, if the costumes - while pretty - were muted - the dancing was not. Janica Smith’s Kitri swished her way through the Act I - her fire cracker temps de fleche (step of the arrow) accented perfectly with the clapping. This ballet has a great deal of choreographed hand work with fans snapping open and shut - precisely. Throughout - both for the principals and the corps de ballet - it was a pleasure to watch.

Several male artists were engaged for this ballet and in the first act occasionally their timing was not quite in synch. It is difficult for men to dance exactly together since much of their choreography is jumping and turning. Each body has a slightly different impetus and trajectory. However, in the second act - the men created a wonderful picture as they flew through the air in a pas de Russe (Russian step) - absolutely perfectly. Every one of them was a pleasure in this dance.

Speaking of pleasures, both Tara Formanek and Kate Spaulding were splendid. Tara especially catches my eye with her delicious use of torso, epaulément (shoulders) and head. She really broadcasts how much fun she is having - and so one is happy to join her. She has long clean lines and I’d like to see her in some partnered adagio pieces. Spaulding is listed as an apprentice and this shows the company is developing strength in depth.

Cupid, danced by Megan Nichols, is another listed as “apprentice.” Her pas de bourrées shimmered such as I’ve seen on world class stages by world class companies. She is another showing the company’s strength in depth.

Act II was altogether a treat. The “dream” sequence fills the stage with totally classical ballet - no celebrating villagers. Here training and care is evident in every sense of those concepts. Line and shape, beauty and form - ballet at its most demanding - standing still, moving together - disparate bodies matching and dancing. Not a finger out of place.

Ariana Samuelsson, dancing Mercedes, was her usual terrific self. Her dancing is seamless, flowing and yet lingering. Ivan Bielik as Espada was a pleasure, too. Jesse Li as Queen of the Dryads, is another listed as an apprentice - she, too, is an upcoming treasure; dancing with panache.

Janica Smith (Kitri and Dulcinea) and Taurean Green (Basilio) gave a fine performance of the famous pas de deux; however Green was not always his usual smooth self - perhaps it was a bit of nerves. Smith whipped through her fouetté turns changing head spot every third one and ending with a double. She made this exhausting, unforgiving - and at breakneck speed - pas de deux look easy. In the first act as Kitri, I loved watching her peel off her foot as she stepped back in preparation for a tour jeté. So many forget that fine point of technique. But - smile, Janica - smile. Your dancing deserves a smile.

Green’s jeté tours around the stage and turns in grand a la second - were fine. He’s good enough that even if he has a ruffle here and there, he can save it as a professional does.

So many seemingly peripheral things to remark upon - seemingly peripheral but actually vitally important to the growth of a company and its professionalism. Good character action by the corps. A stage filled with women on pointe and mostly silent; no thumping to distract the viewer. The deepening strength in the ranks of dancers. Technique is not simply clean - it shines.

The music was taped and - thankfully - aurally comfortable. I always appreciate not being rattled in my chair.

And finally - this Don Quixote was a terrific way to finish the season and makes me look forward to the next.

Dancers: Smith, Wistrich, Formanek, Spaulding, Nichols, Samuelsson, Bielik, Li, Green