This is a studio recording of Don Quixote which was directed by Rudolf Nureyev. Don Quixote is probably Petipa's most exciting ballet but the music and the plot are very thin indeed.

Lucette Aldous, as Kitri, may not be well known to younger balletomanes. She is a New Zealander who danced with the Royal Ballet in the late 60s. In the 70s she joined the Australian Ballet. She is an absolute firecracker of a dancer with blazing speed and is surprisingly physical. This Kitri is going to be a real handful for Basilio. Of course Nureyev supports her with great gusto as well.

The first act is full of high-energy dances for Kitri and Basilio. The last pas de deux will leave the viewer quite breathless! Another remarkably good dancer is Marilyn Rowe who dances the role of the Street dancer in Act One and the Dryad Queen in Act 2. She has soaring entrechats, which add a thrilling dimension to the Street Dancer role. Her solo in the second act was danced with immaculate precision. In fact it is the best one I have seen.

Although there is energy to spare in this production, there is plenty of refinement as well. The Grand Pas de Deux was beautifully done. Robert Helpmann is also very poignant as the ageing Don Quixote, wistfully imagining a world of knights and fair ladies to be rescued. The extra scenes in which Don Quixote meditates with his trusted squire, Sancho, are well done but they add very little. However they represent a well meaning attempt by Nureyev to bring some intelligence and cohesion to the story line. I suspect they look far better on the cinema screen than on television.

There is much to recommend in this production. As well as the first rate dancing, the sets and designs are pretty good. Also the camera angles are good. The Corp de ballet scenes, which often suffer on video, come off surprisingly well. The only slight reservation I have is with the picture quality which has slightly faded.

It should also be said that as this is an early 1970s production, the dancing style might seem a bit out of date. Do not expect very high extensions or extreme flexibility. Aldous is not able to touch her feet in her Act One variation.

Dance Books at Cecil Court distribute this video. It is not always easy to find the video in record shops so you might want to order direct from Dance Books.

Another worthy recommendation is the ABT version with Baryshnikov and Cynthia Harvey on NVC arts label. Harvey is particularly good (wonderfully light and lyrical) in this generally good production.

The Australian Ballet version of Don Quixote is available in the U.S on the excellent Kultur label.

Also on the Kultur label is the Kirov 1988 version with Tatiana Terekova and Farouk Ruzimatov. Terekova has a body to match Sylvie Gulliem and grand jetes that far surpass. You will not find anyone who can jump higher or more easily than she can. Her Dulcinea variation in Act 2 is astonishing to watch. It also has the great Asylmuratova as the street dancer. This is the best video of the Kirov I know and it must even surpass the Australian Ballet video as the top recommendation.