The Royal Ballet’s new production of Don Quixote is ballet at its best. Comic, energetic, playful and sexy, this performance has all you could want and more. 

An adaptation of part of Miguel de Cervantes’s classic novel, the ballet follows the eccentric Don Quixote (Christopher Saunders) on a quest for adventure in search of the lady of his dreams. In the process, he stumbles across the young Kitri (Akane Takada), who wishes to marry the poor Basilio (Steven McRae) against her father’s wishes – he has eyes only for the money offered by Gamache (Bennet Gartside), a rich, pompous nobleman. Don Quixote proceeds in helping to unite the young couple, firstly in a gypsy encampment and then in a local Spanish tavern. Unsurprisingly, everything goes to plan, and the ballet ends with a spectacular wedding – love triumphs over money.

If the storyline gives the appearance of romance progressing a little fast, a completely different perspective is offered when watching live - I fell instantly in love with McRae and Takada the moment they leaped on stage. Things progressed rapidly from there, as both managed to stop time with their dancing – he with gravity-defying jumps and endless turns (his series of tours en l’air were truly effortless) and she with beautifully motionless balances. Both embodied a strangely endearing Spanish cockiness that showed their pride in what so many years of training has allowed them to achieve.

In fact, the entire cast showed their love of dance from start to finish, a real credit to Royal Ballet Principal Guest Artist and choreographer Carlos Acosta. Don Quixote marks his first foray into classical choreography for the Royal Ballet after a departure into more contemporary work, and he certainly did not disappoint – the performance had real excitement and raw energy, even if this meant that the synchronisation of some of the faster steps was at some points a little out amongst the group dances.

Acosta finds the right balance between Marius Petipa’s original choreography (first performed in 1869 by the Bolshoi), athleticism and more modern elements, such as the fantastically dirty floor work performed by the gypsies. I particularly enjoyed how Acosta integrated sound into the performance. Besides Minkus’ score beautifully arranged and orchestrated by Martin Yates, tambourines and Spanish guitarists are brought on stage whilst the dancers chatter, sigh and screech in response to the action, all adding to the excitement and reality of the performance.

Needless to say, it was McRae that stole the show. Whilst Takada was a brilliantly feisty Kitri, especially considering she is only a Soloist and made her debut just a week before, Don Quixote is a ballet that finally gives the male lead the limelight, and McRae more than does this justice. In particular, his one-handed lift was simply breathtaking, where Takada was twice suddenly held in the air and the music stopped for an impossible period of time – the audience’s gasps spoke for themselves.

Also deserving of mention is The Garden of the Dryads scene where classical ballet fans can get their fix of a tutu-dressed corps de ballet floating ethereally across the stage in perfect formation. This scene was dominated by recent Royal Ballet School graduate Anna Rose O’Sullivan in the role of Amour. I have never seen such fantastically fast and weightless bourres (I am still fantasising about them now) nor such power gained from a casual turn of the head in an attitude pose devant. There are far too many other moments that deserve a mention to list, but Romany Pajdak and Yasmine Naghadi as Kitri’s Friends, Ryoichi Hirano and the other matadors and Laura Morera as Mercedes all had boundless energy.

As Carlos Acosta says in the programme, “When the audience leave the theatre what I’d really like is for them to be feeling the whole energy of the show…hopefully they’ll be in a happy mood.” Congratulations Mr Acosta, your mission is complete – can I stop smiling now?

Don Quixote runs until Wednesday 6 November at the Royal Opera House.

Kizzie attended this performance as part of the Royal Opera House’s Student Scheme, where seats in the amphitheatre are available just for students, with prices ranging from £2 to £20. Visit the Cambridge scheme here.