Arena 'Don Quixote' reviews 'Don Quixote' reviews Stiefel in reviews recent Arena reviews more Susy reviews

While great ballet stars were gathered in Tokyo for the 10th WBF, the Arena Ballet invited two couples of ABT principals, Gillian Murphy with Ethan Stiefel and Irina Dvorovenko with Maxim Belotserkovsky, to dance the main roles in its “Don Quixote” choreographed by Maria Grazia Garofoli and presented at the Teatro Romano from the 11th to the 16th of August.

The production, divided in a prologue and three scenes, is quite different from the Nureyev's one which is usually danced in Italy. At the end of the first scene the story between Kitri and Basilio has already reached its happy epilogue. The music for Basilio's first variation and following pdd with Kitri is taken from the first act of “Bayadère” (the one used by Nureyev in the night scene near the gipsy camp). Camacho is no longer a mime character only and is doted with variations and pas de trois with Kitri's friends, sub-tracting them from Basilio.

The second scene is centered on Don Quixote's dream. The music from the first act of “Bayadère” is now used for his pdd with Dulcinea. This isn't the only reference to the other ballet on Minkus's music. The Dryads, dressed with a long veiled robe, enter with the same serpentine pattern of the Shades, where a quatrième allongée replaces the arabesque penché.

In the last scene there is again the music from the first act of “Bayadère” for a pdd between Camacho and Juanita. The ballet ends with the Grand Pas. As in the other productions of the Arena Ballet scenery and costumes are rather elegant, even if the yellow breeches don't suit the Toreadores' shapes.

I attended the opening performance. All the dancers were heroes, dancing with enthousiasm and convinction in the awful summer heat. The choreography devoted ample room to many characters, offering all the soloists the chance to shine, particularly to the young Massimo Schettini as the Urchin and Scilla Cattafesta as Cupidon. Gillian Murphy was the absolute queen of the performance, not yet mastering the use of the fan but terrific on the pointes, particularly in the triple fouettés in the coda of the Grand Pas. Her elegant Basilio was Ethan Stiefel, who by far scaled down the virtuosism in the variation and coda. The theatre wasn't sold out but the audience threw roses and cheered loudly.