Don Quixote

The Ballet of the Greek National Opera presents the revival of a majestic production of the classical ballet Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus, featuring choreography by Thiago Bordin –inspired by that of Marius Petipa–, along with sets designed by George Souglides, and costumes created by Mary Katrantzou. Starting on December 5, 2024, for ten performances in the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the GNO at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, conducted by Stathis Soulis and with a world-class ballet cast in the leading roles.

Don Quixote, one of the most important and popular works in the classical ballet repertoire, is based on episodes drawn from the renowned novel of the same title written by Miguel de Cervantes. It is also one of the most demanding ballets in the repertoire and is considered a major challenge for classical ballet dancers due to its high level of technical difficulty – the manner in which it is performed reveals the standing of a ballet company as a whole.

Guided by the singular music of Minkus, the choreography tells a story imbued with the lofty ideals of knighthood and chivalry, and never fails to touch audiences thanks to its skillful mix of comedy and romance. Austrian composer Ludwig Minkus composed music for a number of ballets, some of which were choreographed by Marius Petipa. At a young age, Petipa travelled to Spain, where he was particularly taken by the country’s traditional dances. With Don Quixote, Petipa seeks to capture the impressions and colours of Spain, beautifully expressing its dance traditions through his choreography. The results of this Minkus – Petipa partnership immediately met with massive success, leading to Don Quixote being firmly established as a timeless masterpiece of the world ballet repertoire.

Along with the excellent Principal Dancers, Soloists, Demi-Soloists, and the Corps de ballet of the GNO, the production features world-class ballet stars from leading companies such as the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, the Dutch National Ballet, the Berlin State Ballet, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

Fully accessible performances on 20 & 24/12/2024.