Don Quixote

A new production from the world-renowned Australian Ballet based on Rudolf Nureyev and Robert Helpmann’s iconic 1973 film.

This wildly colourful, palpably textured stage spectacle recreates Rudolf Nureyev and Robert Helpmann’s 1973 Don Quixote film. A tribute to the legacy of the legendary Russian dancer and director who was a guest of The Australian Ballet in the early 1970s, the production resembles a painting come to life, enriched by a Spanish-flavoured score by veteran 19th-century ballet composer Ludwig Minkus, and vibrant costumes and sets that immerse audiences in a sultry experience of classical ballet.

Don Quixote moves from a rowdy Barcelona port to the ethereal happenings of the Don’s dream, to the candle-lit finery of the wedding celebration. A spirited ballet bursting with humour, the story follows the barber Basilio, who wins the hand of his girlfriend Kitri with the help of the visionary knight.

From the ballet’s spectacular lifts in Act I, to rousing ensemble scenes and a glittering confection of tutus, Don Quixote is a multi-sensory feast that reminds us of ballet’s power in the historical creative canon.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ‘A sumptuous, exuberant showcase’ – The Guardian

Production Company The Australian Ballet
Duration 120 minutes
Dance style Ballet
Dance Company The Australian Ballet
Choreography by Rudolf Nureyev, after Marius Petipa
Composer Ludwig Minkus
Costumes Barry Kay
Conductor Jonathon Lo
Orchestra / Band Orchestra Victoria