The world ballet masterpiece Don Quixote premiered in Vietnam for the first time

On the evenings of June 27 and 28, the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will officially perform the ballet masterpiece Don Quixote at the Ho Guom Theater, Hanoi, promising to bring the audience many impressive artistic experiences.

Vietnam National Opera and Ballet performed the world ballet masterpiece Don Quixote for the first time in Vietnam. (Photo: VNOB)

More than 150 years old, the ballet Don Quixote is still loved by the world for its ability to balance drama and technique, humor and emotion, and reflect the optimistic spirit of ballet. Don Quixote is ranked in the top 10 of the most enduring classical ballets.

However, audiences in Vietnam have not yet had the opportunity to enjoy this great work with the original version by the famous choreographer Marius Petipa. Therefore, the artists of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet decided to make this a reality by staging the world ballet masterpiece Don Quixote.

Inspired by the novel of the same name by Cervantes, the ballet choreographed by the legendary Marius Petipa in 1869, with music by Ludwig Minkus, takes the audience on an adventure between "dream" and "reality" of the knight Don Quixote - a character who embodies the romantic ideal - a man immersed in an illusory world where love and courage are deified.

Petipa took a small piece from the original - the love story of Kitri and Basilio - and built it into an energetic ballet. He transformed the complexity of the literature into a purity of emotion, in keeping with the language of ballet, which is based on physical lines and music.

The work focuses on depicting the passionate love between Kitri and Basilio - where passionate Flamenco steps, bustling Castanet sounds blend with top ballet techniques such as Fouetté or Grand jeté. The unique blend of Spanish dance and classical ballet language creates a dramatic dialogue about the desire to love and dare to live a dream.

The ballet Don Quixote is created with a delicate artistic structure, where the image of Don Quixote acts as a poetic bridge between two worlds. The audience will be led from the vibrant and colorful everyday scene of the Spanish flea market, entering the dreamy and magical spaces opened by the old knight.

The show brings together the participation of many talented ballet artists. (Photo: VNOB)

The interweaving of vibrant realistic scenes and dreamy adventure scenes not only creates a strong visual and emotional contrast, but is also a prime artistic means to explore the philosophical depths of the work. It is this constant shift between "reality" and "dream" that creates a special appeal, making Don Quixote not only an entertaining masterpiece but also a profound artistic statement about desire, illusion and the nature of human happiness.

Talking about staging Don Quixote, Meritorious Artist Phan Manh Duc, Director of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet, shared: “We know it is difficult to overcome many obstacles such as actors, time, finance, etc., but with the determination to bring the world's top artistic products to Vietnam, meeting the audience's need to enjoy worthy art, VNOB is ready to bring Don Quixote to the Vietnamese stage.”

The program gathered about 150 people, including nearly 60 dancers, more than 60 musicians of the symphony orchestra and creative, production, backstage crews, etc. In particular, besides the participation of famous Vietnamese ballet artists such as Meritorious Artist Cao Chi Thanh, Meritorious Artist Phan Luong, Bui Tuan Anh, Phung Quang Minh..., there were also artists of the Theater's Gen Z generation such as Nguyen Duc Hieu, Vu Khanh Bang, Tran Bao Ngoc...

The ballet is directed by choreographer, Meritorious Artist Luu Thu Lan and Pham Minh - a talented artist who graduated from the Kiev National Ballet School, performed at Ballet du Capitole (Toulouse) and is currently the Director of La SALLE Dance School (France).

VNOB's Symphony Orchestra, under the command of "magic wand" Dong Quang Vinh, also promises to bring the most wonderful melody of Don Quixote. Combining a multi-layered lighting system, colorful costumes, meticulous stage design, and highly artistic visual system, the play affirms the timeless message: "Happiness blooms from bold dreams".

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/lan-dau-cong-dien-kiet-tac-ballet-the-gioi-don-quixote-tai-viet-nam-213961.html