In the warm summer weather the orchestra enjoyed playing in short shirt sleeves
This ballet followed parts of the well-known
novel by Cervantes. It was commissioned for the Imperial Ballet and staged first in Moscow and then in St Petersburg
in 1870 with music by Minkus and choreography by Petipa. Because the story is based in Spain, besides classical ballet, dancers do Spanish dances of various kinds including with toreadors and with castanets. There are also groups of gypsy dances. So there is much variety.
A gypsy was dancing for Don Quixote, but she was moving as I took the photo without a flash!
The main couple trying to stay together
Don Quixote in a dream sequence with a corps of classical ballet dancers
All of the principal dancers with their final bows.
