Dance Review by Hedy Weiss

BOLSHOI’S "QUIXOTE" ELECTRIFIES AUDIENCE

From the first click of castanets to the final whirlwind of pirouettes executed at tornado speed, there was fire on the heels - and in the souls - of the dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet on Friday as the massive company performed Don Quixote.

...This Don Quixote summoned up everything that comes with the name, and suggested that the Russian ballet tradition is flourishing among a whole new generation of superb dancers. Radiating out well beyond the breathtaking technique and coolly lustrous presence of prima ballerina Nina Ananiashvili - who turned some of the most breakneck classical dancing challenges into incomparably effortless fireworks (including balances that seemed held by a magnet), was a vast company of distinctive supporting players. Their electrifying energy poured out into the Auditorium, where even the high altitude upper balcony seats were full. And the large pickup orchestra, led by Alexander Sotnikov, made a joyful noise as it played the exuberant Ludwig Minkus score.

Crucial to the radical change in the company’s performance was the choreography. Though based on the original 1869 choreography by Marius Petipa and later revisions by Aleksandr Gorsky, the current production was revamped a couple of years ago by Alexei Fadeechev, the now 39-year-old artistic director and former star of the company. He has infused it all with phenomenal energy - remaining faithful to the ballet’s deep roots but showcasing the bravura technical prowess, speed and strength of contemporary dancers and the unified power of the corps.

Sergei Barkhin’s panoramic sets (the port of Barcelona, a Moorish courtyard, a gypsy camp, a curtain of Spanish lace) paired with revivals of the magnificent original 1903 costumes by Vassily Dyachkov inspired gasps of delight. And rather than encumbering the production, the splendor enhanced it.

Rich in characters and the character dancing inspired by folk styles, Don Quixote showcased wonderfully flamboyant dancers. Vladimir Moiseyev (charismatic grandson of the founder of the fabled Moiseyev Dance Company), was the flashy Toreador; Yuliana Malkhasyants dazzled as Mercedes, the local spitfire with the impossibly arched back; Anna Antropova smoldered as the gypsy girl; and Andrei Uvarov... was not only a matchless partner for Nina Ananiashvili, but an eye-catching dancer with airborn barrel vaults and perfect turns.