Don Quixote ballet wraps up season in Beijing

The National Ballet of China put on Don Quixote at the Tianqiao Theater in Beijing on Dec 25-26, 2015. It was the final performance of the 2nd China International Ballet Season that lasted from Nov 6 to Dec 26. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The National Ballet of China (NBC) staged the classic ballet Don Quixote with the prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow at the Tianqiao Theater in Beijing on December 26, as the last performance of the 2nd China International Ballet Season.

The Spanish novel Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra tells a story of a middle-aged country gentlemen who is hopelessly absorbed with novels of chivalry, who embarks on an adventure to go after the woman of his dreams. During his trip, he comes across barber Basilio, who falls in love with an innkeeper's daughter Kitri. With the help from Don Quixote and his squire Sancho, the pair of love birds finally get together.

The ballet version of Don Quixote has been interpreted by various troupes around the world. By pushing the book's minor characters Kitri and Basilio into the foreground, the Don Quixote ballet by NBC bears little resemblance to the original story, but it is regarded as a stimulating work that provides enough room for dancers to show off their consummate techniques.