Dance Review by Bruce Marriott

BOLSHOI BALLET,  Don Quixote
London, Coliseum

Richard Buckle was spot on when he called Don Quixote a "famous old firework with cheerful tunes by Minkus".

Don Quixote is from 1869 and is Petipa learning his stage craft - nothing too complex here. It's his earliest surviving full length work and was actually created for the Bolshoi...

Along the way we have Toreadors, a street dancer, Gypsies, Dryads (wood nymphs to you) and a rich idiot suitor called Gamache. All good fun and enabling the Bolshoi to push their chests out and be wickedly proud - Spanish even!

The designs and costumes are worth a special mention for being so good... The costumes are actually based on some 1903 version when the Bolshoi revived the piece. This was the time of Faberge when Russia was very much part of "Western" design and good taste - and they look spot on. The Bolshoi Don Quixote is by the company's artistic director - Alexei Fadeyechev...

I must be especially sympathetic to DQ because I don't think I've ever come away from any production feeling other than happier than when I went in. But this was special, the first DQ and Nina Ananiashvili was dancing.

We had all been astounded by her Raymonda and this was just another night of bliss - one that has gone into my top five (or so) best performances ever seen. I can't believe that dancing can come any better. Imperfections that you never really knew were there go when she dances. Every movement has the most breathtaking clarity and looks so fresh, like you have never really seen it done properly before. And of course she can really dazzle in the dazzling bits like the fouettees. She turns so, so, fast.

Given she guests with companies, and did with the Royal Ballet some six years ago, somebody should ensure that we see more of her in the UK.

Her Basil was Andrei Uvarov. We had seen him earlier as Spartacus, a tall classical dancer and excellent partner. He is a new partner and is perhaps a little tall for Nina, so it will take a few performances for them to mesh perfectly. But they put on a marvellous show and if my words are a little guarded remember we are talking of performances at the very highest of levels. You go months and years without seeing dance this good.

Again the quality of soloists and support dancing was excellent... The Bolshoi Don Quixote is a gorgeous beast, inhabited by fine dancers, the best designs and in Ananiashvili a leading lady to die for.