Review: Don Quixote (The National Ballet of Canada)

The National Ballet of Canada presents the North American premiere of Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote, beautifully reimagining this fan favorite. Renowned for its difficulty, Don Quixote demands brilliant technique, speed, precision, stamina, and artistic flair from its performers. The audience was abuzz last night at the Four Seasons Centre as the company delivered just that.

Based on Miguel de Cervantes' lengthy novel of the same name, Don Quixote was first choreographed by Marius Petipa with music by Ludwig Minkus in 1869. Carlos Acosta's reimagined version features a musical arrangement by Hans Vercauteren and further increases the dancing challenge for its performers. Acosta’s adaptation was originally created for The Royal Ballet in 2013 and remounted for Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2022.

Now, in 2024, it has been brought to the National Ballet of Canada, where I think it should remain as a staple of their repertoire. We need a Don Quixote in our repertoire, as it was last performed by the company back in 2011. This version is a fantastic match for the National Ballet of Canada.

Why Acosta for this remount? Born in 1973 in Havana, Cuba, Acosta rose from one of the city's poorest districts to become an international ballet star and is now the Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Acosta, in his dancing prime, was known for his athleticism, emotional depth, and charismatic stage presence—essential traits for this challenging ballet. It is no wonder that Acosta famously made Basilio, the young lover from Don Quixote, one of his signature roles.

The story follows Don Quixote (Rex Harrington), an old knight motivated by romantic tales of knightly adventures, and his loyal sidekick Sancho Panza (Jason Ferro). Don Quixote embarks on a humorous quest, riding a makeshift horse assembled and pulled by Sancho. During their travels, they encounter Kitri (Genevieve Penn Nabity), the daughter of an innkeeper. Kitri’s father wants her to marry the wealthy but undesirable Gamache (Donald Thom), yet she is in love with Basilio, the town barber (Harrison James). Through the ballet, Don Quixote helps Kitri to marry the one she loves. The story is set in Spain and is infused with Spanish flair through dancing, costuming, music, and props. Dancers perform with fans, tambourines, castanets, and matador capes, which add to the fun and lively plot. The ballet is a great blend of humor, romance, bravura, and of course, incredibly technically challenging dance sequences.

My highlight of the night was Genevieve Penn Nabity, who was absolutely incredible in the role of Kitri. She displayed impeccable technique with ronde de jambes and back bends that were larger than life. Not only was her technique on point (literally and figuratively), but she also looked like she was having a complete blast throughout the entire performance. Her partner, Harrison James, playing Basilio, made an adorable and well-matched duo with Nabity. He supported her through the lowest of low dips, demonstrating their strong partnership and chemistry on stage. It was a delight to see them in this production.

Other dancers who stole the show included Christopher Gerty as Espada, a famous matador whose charm and dancing could (and did, in the story) make a girl faint with just a glance. His dancing was incredibly strong both technically and in his character performance, featuring some fun, macho moves with the matador cape. 

Last but certainly not least, David Preciado, as Amour, danced gorgeously in the second act. During a scene where Quixote falls asleep and is transported to the magical garden of Dryads, Preciado delivered a solo that was sharp, clean, technically sound and FAST. Preciado, a member of the Corps de Ballet, only joined the company in 2022. I cannot see him staying in the Corps for long with that impressive feat.

The audience was more animated than I have ever seen, their cheers and applause reflecting the dancers' incredible feats and the sheer joy of the performance. Not only was the audience animated throughout the night, but the dancers were as well, jeering and cheering at different moments in the work. 

This ballet is pure joy and fun for the audience. Acosta has created a gorgeous version of Don Quixote, bringing a ballet favorite to even higher heights. I hope it will be back again sooner than it last left us, continuing to delight and inspire audiences with its vibrant energy and technical brilliance. Get your tickets soon as they are almost sold out!

Don Quixote, presented by the National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (145 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 4G1) is playing until June 9, 2024. Tickets range from $46 to $279. Tickets can be purchased online here.

National.Ballet.ca | Socials: @nationalballet

• Photo 1: Genevieve Penn Nabity with Artists of the Ballet in Don Quixote. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
• Photo 2: Rex Harrington and Jason Ferro with Artists of the Ballet in Don Quixote. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
• Photo 3: Artists of the Ballet in Don Quixote. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Written by Deanne Kearney | DeanneKearney.com @deannekearney