“Don Quixote,” a book written by Miguel de Cervantes in 1605, remains a widely popular classic piece of literature. Over 100 years later, in 1740, choreographer Marius Petipa collaborated with composer Ludwig Minkus to create the ballet adaptation of this written work. Now, Don Quixote exists as a nationwide popular ballet and the Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre (GMDT) performed it at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre in Marietta.
“It was a very collaborative environment. The dancers would discuss choreography amongst each other and the choreographers and directors would give us notes. We would apply corrections, practice certain techniques and do everything in our power to make it the best experience. I think we can all agree that it was an incredible experience that helped us bond as a company, learn valuable lessons such as perseverance and be reminded that we love what we do,” dancer Grace Harrison said.
Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23, a team of student ballet dancers of all skill levels and ages performed the piece, including NC’s very own sophomore Felicity Burchfield — who danced as one of Mercede’s, a street dancer, friends. The piece consisted of two acts with an intermission separating the two. Act One begins with a prologue, where a dancer plays Don Quixote, a middle aged gentleman, immersed in the stories and tales he reads, eventually dreaming up his beloved Lady Dulcinea and wanting to defend her. Inspired by his dreams, he embarks on an adventure with Sancho Panza, his loyal squire to save Lady Dulcinea in hopes of bringing her back.
Each part of the dance consisted of four backdrop changes. The prologue began with a closed curtain and only Quixote on stage, with Panza and Lady Dulcinea occasionally appearing. Then, the curtain raised to reveal a beautiful set full of ballerinas dancing throughout Act One. The change of the set represented the village in the story, as Kitri , the innkeeper’s daughter, falls in love with Basilio, a barber. Kitri’s father, Lorenzo, despises the relationship, as he wants his daughter to marry Gamache, a royal, rich and eccentric nobleman instead. Throughout Act One, the dancers exemplified an excellent range of emotions, allowing for viewers to understand the narrative without reading the book beforehand.
After this, Quixote returned to the stage, finding himself in a magical forest. The dancer representing Quixote, Kyle Brand, showed the fear that the character experienced when shadows haunted and chased him, eventually luring him into a deep sleep. As Quixote dreams, he imagines himself as a brave knight and sees his love again, which inspires him as he wakes up and decides to help the relationship between Kitri and Basilio prevail. After this scene, the curtains closed and released the audience for a 25 minute intermission.
In Act Two, Kitri and Basilio arrive in a joyous town as their hideout, but Kitri’s father and Gamache catch up to the couple. Basilio attempts to impress and potentially change Lorenzo’s mind by putting on a funny show. After his attempt fails, Kitri asks Quixote to step in. The village thinks that the couple’s future will not prevail but, eventually, Lorenzo admits defeat and allows the couple to control their own future. The play ends on a happy note as Basilio takes Kitri’s hand in marriage, with Quixote blessing them, and the town shares a joyful dance. Ultimately, the dancers presented a fantastic job at retelling this famous story. The dance remained full of emotions and impressive music choices thanks to the directors, choreographers and dancers involved.
“When my company first found out that we were doing Don Quixote we were ecstatic and feeling extremely fortunate to be able to do a full length classical ballet. Learning the choreography was so special and we got to be sassy Spanish dancers with fans or dreamlike characters with sparkling tutus. My company is genuinely really close with each other so being on stage dancing and acting together and connecting with one another was by far my favorite part.. I will miss dancing with the seniors who are leaving this year, so that final show day was definitely a sad and emotional one filled with lots of tears, hugs and lots of pictures for memories,” Burchfield said.
