Don Quixote (Andy Primm) on his chivalrous quest passing through the band of gypsies. Photo by Jesse Martinez
Kitri (Sasha Simakov) and Basilio (Brandon Penn) enjoy each other’s company in the town square. Photo by Jesse Martinez
Review By KAELAN PRIME
Los Alamos
For those who are unfamiliar, the classic ballet “Don Quixote” was premiered by Bulshoi Ballet in 1869. The ballet, based on Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote de la Manche, is scored by Ludwig Minkus and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa. The ballet features an abridged version of the novel’s original plotline following the misadventures of Don Quixote.
The story goes as such: Don Quixote drifts to sleep reading the infamous stories of knights and maidens and grandeur, and dreams that he is visited and knighted by the enchanting Dulcinea. When he awakes, Don Quixote sets off to perform his knightly duties to Dulcinea alongside his quirky squire Sancho. Meanwhile, Kitri, the beloved daughter of Lorenzo, becomes engaged to the barber Basilio. Lorenzo, however, does not approve and wants Kitri to marry the wealthy nobleman Gamache instead. As the townsfolk dance and socialize, Don Quixote arrives with Sancho in tow, mistaking Kitri for his precious Dulcinea. Upset with the overbearing Lorenzo and slightly disturbed by Quixote’s antics, Kitri and Basilio run away.
They are warmly received at a nearby gypsy encampment, but the increasingly delusional Don Quixote soon reappears only to be knocked unconscious in his “epic battle” with a windmill that he imagined to be some horrific monster. Don Quixote is once again enchanted by his dreams, seeing visions of Dulcinea, Cupid and Dryad Faeries. Next, Kitri and Basilio move on to the local tavern where, in concert with Quixote, they fake Basilio’s death so that Lorenzo will grant his blessing of their marriage as a dying wish. The story comes to a close as Kitri and Basilio are married in their town square and celebrate with all the townsfolk.
For those who are not close to the ballet world, Don Quixote is a notoriously technical production to undertake. It features a flurry of precise, flashy turns, leaps and kicks that not only seem to go faster than perceptible but are also incredibly difficult to perform. That is what makes Dance Arts Los Alamos’ (DALA) spring ballet “The Tales of Don Quixote” all the more spectacular to watch.
DALA’s production opens at 7 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday at Duane Smith Auditorium. The myriad of dancers includes DALA students, staff and a guest artist. The featured guest artist, Brandon Penn, hails most recently from Fort Wayne Ballet where he just completed a second season as one of their principal dancers. Penn is now a freelancer and will take on the role of Basilio for DALA. Don Quixote will, of course, include their adult ballet students, one of DALA’s newest signature features.
The ballet opens Don Quixote’s dreams and the mesmerizing vision he has of Dulcinea. Quixote, played by Andy Primm, has a fantastic stage presence that is well suited to his character’s off-kilter personality and accompanied by fantastic pantomiming that will keep just about anyone clued into the story. Luisa Schmitz, who dances as Dulcinea, radiates confidence with excellent posturing that emanates the ethereal beauty she represents.
As Act I opens in the Barcelona town square, the dancers treat us to some fun and sassy fan work, another key feature of the classic Don Quixote ballet. No matter where you look, dancers are fully engaged in their characters, even the ones who might not be in the spotlight. Just after Basiliio proposes to Kitri, we get to see the first real treat of the show. Mercedes, played by Ellie Merrill is a picture of strength and grace as she enters the stage. As you might know, ballet is a sport of elegance and finesse in spite of any relative difficulty, which is something Merrill has a fantastic grip on both in her solos and pas de deux features with Espada (Jasper Lee). They are soon followed by what can be objectively deemed the absolute cutest little “Toreadors.” Next follow Kitri’s friends, played by sisters Evie and Ciara Hinrichs, which is a situation I can only explain as seeing double. The sisters dance perfectly in sync, all the while having fantastic chemistry and obviously enjoying their time together. We even get a brief, live performance with castanettes before the end of the first act. As the townslfolk are introduced to Don Quixote, it’s inevitable to find yourself laughing along with his foolish antics and the comic acting from Lorenzo (Dave Kimball).
Act II opens with Basilio and Kitri wandering into a band of gypsies, who dance away the night entertaining the pair. When Don Quixote and Sancho arrive, Quixote sees the windmill in the distance and, perhaps not a man of the greatest intelligence, sees it to be a great beast. Thanks to his promises of honor and chivalry to the dreamy Dulcinea, he feels he must fight the beast. Unfortunately for Quixote, this ends up with him unconscious. In the process, he does some fantastic acting with a massive lance, which Sancho (Jonathan Guise) swings around backwards in a wonderfully choreographed sweep that knocks Quixote to the ground. Fortunately for the audience, Don Quixote’s dreams run wild once again. We are visited, of course, by Dulcinea, as well as Cupid (Allyson Harbert) and the Queen of the Dryads (Lianna Dare). In Cupid’s variation, Harbert tackles the choreography with a violent precision, highlighted by her quick and clean pique turns. Overall, Act II truly showcases all of the dancers’ ability to shine while being challenged by the technicality of the ballet.
In Act III, Kitri and Basilio are wed and get their happily ever after. Their wedding celebrations include a number of fun and energized group pieces as well as the classic Kitri and Basilio variations and pas de deux. Leading into the grand pas de deux, Kitri’s bridesmaids (Jana Gauss, Arianna Kimball, Anabel Irving, Margaret Kelley) set the tone with confident and flirtatious movements. Guest artist Brandon Penn, while incredibly talented in his own right, has the commendable skill of allowing his partner, Kitri (Sasha Simakov), to shine by complimenting her style.
The intricacies of partner dancing are already difficult, but with a guest partner and with limited rehearsals, Simakov and Penn should be applauded for their fluidity and ability to match each other without hesitations or stumbles. The cherry on top of my Don Quixote experience was Simakov’s performance of the classic Kitri variation. Not only is that variation a pillar in any young dancer’s training, Simakov pulls through with great stamina through the end of the show to honor the piece which holds great nostalgia and recognition even amongst the broader dance enthusiast community.
