By Marina Villanueva based on Marius Petipa
Spain, 17th century. Don Quixote is a dreamer in search of an ideal who lives through the tales of chivalry. Convinced that he is destined to restore justice and defend the oppressed, he embarks on an adventure with his faithful squire, Sancho Pança. Both comical and endearing, Don Quixote sees giants where there are only windmills and princesses in beautiful Romani women.
This two-act classical ballet is adapted from one of the most important works in Spanish literature, Don Quixote de la Mancha, written by Miguel de Cervantes in 1605. Adapted by the Cuban choreographer Marina Villanueva, this narrative is mainly inspired by the original version created by the renowned Marius Petipa in 1869 and by the 1988 version of Alicia Alonso, a key figure of classical ballet in the Hispanic-American culture.
Featuring flamboyant dances and romantic pas de deux, Don Quixote ballet follows the lively music of Austrian composer Ludwig Minkus. With lavish set designs and sumptuous costumes, this playful ballet is a true explosion of colors and energy.
About the show
Total duration: 2h17, including intermission
This ensemble comprises 43 highly skilled musicians and soloists. Our orchestra has been playing a major role in the success of Les Grands Ballets for over 30 years.
PROLOGUE
Don Quixote, a Spanish gentleman obsessed with tales of chivalry, dreams at night of heroic quests. His loyal squire, Sancho Panza, grows increasingly worried that his master is losing his grip on reality due to excessive reading. Despite Sancho’s efforts to bring him back to his senses, Don Quixote remains undeterred and declares his intention to set off on an adventure. He instructs Sancho to ready his gear—battered armor, a worn-out sword, spurs, and above all, his noble steed, Rocinante. Suddenly, mistaking a vision for his beloved Dulcinea, the idealized lady of his heart, Don Quixote charges forth, dragging Sancho along on a new escapade.
ACT I
A Castilian Village
At dawn, the village square comes to life. Kitri, daughter of the innkeeper Lorenzo, exchanges loving glances with Basilio, the barber she adores. Lorenzo, scandalized, separates them. The lovers beg for his blessing, but Lorenzo refuses—Basilio is too poor for his daughter.
The arrival of Gamache, a wealthy nobleman accompanied by his guard, draws ridicule from the villagers. He proposes to Kitri, and Lorenzo, enticed by the dowry, agrees. Kitri, determined to resist this marriage of convenience, mocks Gamache. Embarrassed, her father urges her inside the inn.
The square becomes lively again with the arrival of a troupe of toreadors, led by Espada and his mistress, Mercedes. The villagers dance. Don Quixote and Sancho arrive and are warmly welcomed. Mistaking Kitri for Dulcinea, Don Quixote swears eternal love to her. Everyone rejoices in the celebration.
Lorenzo summons his daughter to formalize the engagement with Gamache. Basilio tries to intervene but is stopped by the guards. Don Quixote steps in, enabling Kitri and Basilio to flee. Gamache and his men give chase, followed closely by Don Quixote and Sancho, champions of true love.
Escape into the Forest
The fleeing lovers take shelter in a camp near some windmills. Moved by their story, the camp leader offers them refuge. Don Quixote and Sancho soon arrive and are welcomed with dancing. The peace is broken when Lorenzo, Gamache, and their soldiers arrive, demanding the fugitives be handed over. Finding Kitri’s shawl, Lorenzo orders a full search of the camp.
Lost in his delusions, Don Quixote charges at a windmill, believing it to be a fearsome giant, and is knocked down. Alarmed, Sancho rushes to get help. Dazed and injured, Don Quixote hallucinates: he sees Dulcinea surrounded by Dryads, led by the Spirit of Love. She comforts him and promises that love will triumph. Sancho gently brings him back to reality.
ACT II
In the Tavern
The village celebrates Kitri and Basilio’s return. Don Quixote and Sancho join the festivities. But the joy is short-lived—Gamache and Lorenzo arrive, determined to force Kitri into marriage.
As the ceremony begins, a cloaked stranger interrupts the proceedings. It is Basilio, feigning suicide. In his “final” breath, he begs to marry Kitri before he dies. Don Quixote passionately defends the lovers, and the priest consents. No sooner are they wed than Basilio springs back to life, revealing his clever ruse. Humiliated, Gamache exits in disgrace.
Wedding of Kitri and Basilio
Don Quixote reconciles Kitri with her father and insists the celebration go on. As the festivities conclude, the wandering knight and his faithful squire set off once more, continuing their quest for truth and justice.
Last updated on May 16, 2025. Cast subject to change.
M = matinee
S = soirée
PROLOGUE
Don Quixote
Graeme Fuhrman (30S, 6S, 7S)
Felixovitch Morante (30M, 31M, 5S)
James Lyttle (29S, 31S, 7M)
Sancho Panza
Erismel Mejias Garcia (all performances)
Dulcinea
Sarah-Maude Laliberté (all performances)
ACT I
Kitri
Anya Nesvitaylo (30S, 7S)
Yui Sugawara (30M, 31M, 6S)
Anna Ishii (31S, 7M)
Rachele Buriassi (29S, 5S)
Basilio
Esnel Ramos (29S, 5S)
Célestin Boutin (30M, 31M, 6S)
Roddy Doble (30S, 7S)
Marcel Gutiérrez (31S, 7M)
Lorenzo, Kitri's father
Hamilton Nieh (29S, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Étienne Delorme (30M, 31M, 6S)
Gamacho, Kitri’s suitor
Melih Mertel (all performances)
Espada
Graeme Fuhrman (29S, 5S, 7M)
Antoine Benjamin Bertran (30M, 31M, 6S)
Flemming Puthenpurayil (31S)
Felixovich Morante (30S, 7S)
Mercedes
Maude Sabourin (29S, 5S)
Aurora De Mori (30M, 31M, 6S)
Mai Kono (30S, 7S)
Anaïs Roy (31S, 7M)
The Priest
Nolan Fanhey (all performances)
Soldiers
Nolan Fanhey (all performances)
Sebastian Bravo (29S, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Elias Roldan (30M, 31M, 6S)
Friends (women)
Kiara DeNae Felder and Carrigan MacDonald (29S, 5S, 7S)
Sofía González and Anaïs Roy (30M, 31M, 6S)
Alexandra Eccles and Sarah Branch (30S, 31S, 7M)
Friends (men)
Bernard Dubois II (29S, 30M, 31M, 5S, 6S, 7S)
Daniel Leger (30S, 31S, 7M)
Angel Vizcaíno (all performances)
Seguidilla (men)
Daniel Leger, Bernardo Betancor, Bernard Dubois II, Angel Vizcaíno (all performances)
Kostiantyn Leshchynskyi (29S, 30M, 31M, 5S, 7M, 7S)
François Gagné (30S, 31S, 6S)
Oscar Lambert (29S, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Sebastian Bravo (30M, 31M, 6S)
Seguidilla (women)
Rose Trahan (all performances)
Kiara Flavin (all performances)
Anaïs Roy (29S)
Maeva Marcolini (30M, 30S, 31M, 31S, 5S, 6S, 7M, 7S)
Sofía González (29S, 30S, 31S)
Laura Vande Zande (30M, 31M, 5S, 6S, 7M, 7S)
Alexandra Eccles (29S, 31M, 6S, 7S)
Kiara DeNae Felder (30M, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M)
Sarah Branch (29S, 31M, 6S, 7S)
Carrigan MacDonald (30M, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M)
Seguidilla – extra
Théodore Poubeau (all performances)
Toreros
Thomas Leprohon (all performances)
Benjamin Poirier (all performances)
Felixovich Morante (29S, 31S, 5S, 6S, 7S)
James Lyttle (30M, 30S, 31M, 7M)
Flemming Puthenpurayil (29S, 30M, 30S, 31M, 5S, 6S)
Elias Roldan (31S, 7M, 7S)
Antoine Benjamin Bertran (29S, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Oscar Lambert (30M, 31M, 6S)
Étienne Delorme (29S, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Graeme Fuhrman (30M, 31M, 6S)
Majas
Tatiana Lerebours, Tuesday Rain Leduc, Calista Shepheard, Maude Fleury, Éliane Jacques, Élodie Scholtes-Labrecque (all performances)
Soldiers
Sebastian Bravo and Kostiantyn Leshchynskyi (all performances)
Leader of the Gypsies
Étienne Delorme (29S, 31S, 5S, 7M)
Hamilton Nieh (30M, 31M, 6S)
James Lyttle (30S, 7S)
Gypsy Women
Aurora De Mori (all performances)
Vanesa G.R. Montoya (29S, 5S)
Tatiana Lerebours (30S, 31M, 31S)
Maude Sabourin (30S, 6S)
Tetyana Martyanova (29S, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Calista Shepheard (30M, 31M, 6S, 7M, 7S)
Gypsy Men
Oscar Lambert, Bernard Dubois II, Benjamin Poirier, Nolan Fanhey, Daniel Leger, Bernardo Betancor, Thomas Leprohon (all performances)
Flemming Puthenpurayil (29S, 30S, 31M, 5S, 6S)
Elias Roldan (30M, 31S, 7M, 7S)
Cupid
François Gagné (all performances)
Queen of the Dryads
Mai Kono (29S, 31S, 7M)
Tetyana Martyanova (30M, 31M, 6S)
Sofía González (30S, 5S, 7S)
Dryads
Alexandra Eccles, Kiara DeNae Felder, Carrigan MacDonald, Sarah Branch, Rose Trahan, Maeva Marcolini, Kiara Flavin, Anaïs Roy, Tuesday Rain Leduc, Maude Fleury, Laura Vande Zande, Éliane Jacques, Élodie Scholtes-Labrecque (all performances)
Tatiana Lerebours (29S, 30M, 30S, 5S, 6S, 7M, 7S)
Sarah-Maude Laliberté (30M, 31M, 31S, 7M, 7S)
Sofía González (29S, 31M, 31S, 6S, 7M)
Aurora De Mori (30M, 30S, 5S, 7S)
Calista Shepheard (29S, 30S, 31M, 31S, 5S, 6S)
ACT II
Espada
Graeme Fuhrman (29S, 5S, 7M)
Antoine Benjamin Bertran (30M, 31M, 6S)
Felixovich Morante (30S, 7S)
Flemming Puthenpurayil (31S)
Fandango (men)
Oscar Lambert, Daniel Leger, Benjamin Poirier, Bernardo Betancor, Thomas Leprohon, Elias Roldan (all performances)
Flemming Puthenpurayil (29S, 30S, 31M, 5S, 6S)
Kostiantyn Leshchynskyi (30M, 31S, 7M, 7S)
Étienne Delorme (29S, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Nolan Fanhey (30M, 31M, 6S)
Grand Pas – Friends
Maude Fleury, Rose Trahan, Kiara Flavin, Maeva Marcolini (all performances)
Kiara DeNae Felder (29S, 30M, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Sofía González (30M, 31M, 6S)
Alexandra Eccles (30S, 31S, 7M)
Carrigan MacDonald (29S, 30M, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S)
Anaïs Roy (30M, 31M, 6S)
Sarah Branch (30S, 31S, 7M)
Alexandra Eccles (29S, 31M, 6S)
Sarah Branch (29S, 31M, 6S)
Fandango Couples
Calista Shepheard and Oscar Lambert (all performances)
Tetyana Martyanova and Benjamin Poirier (all performances)
Éliane Jacques and Bernardo Betancor (all performances)
Laura Vande Zande and Thomas Leprohon (all performances)
Élodie Scholtes-Labrecque and Elias Roldan (all performances)
Tatiana Lerebours and Flemming Puthenpurayil (29S, 30S, 31M, 5S, 6S) or Kostiantyn Leshchynskyi (30M, 31S, 7M, 7S)
Tuesday Rain Leduc and Daniel Leger (29S, 30M, 31M, 5S, 6S, 7S) or Antoine Benjamin Bertran (30S, 31S, 7M)
Sarah-Maude Laliberté and Étienne Delorme (29S, 30S, 31S, 5S, 7M, 7S) or Nolan Fanhey (30M, 31M, 6S)
Fandango Extra
Théodore Poubeau
Violins I
Céline Arcand, solo
Daniel Godin, associate
Élise Lortie
Frédéric Lefebvre
Valérie Belzile
Émilie Rabaraona
Line Deneault
Josiane Breault
Daphnée Sincennes Richard
Mana Shiraishi
Violins II
Marie-Josée Arpin, solo
Solange Bouchard, assistant
Jean Ai Seow
Natalia Kononova
Anne Saint-Cyr
Maude Fréchette
Félix Savignac
Édith Pedneault
Violas
Véronique Potvin, solo
Catherine Arsenault, assistant
Élisa Boudreau
Bojana Milinov
Mihaela Tistu
Martine Gagné
Cellos
Jeanne de Chantal Marcil, solo
Carla Antoun, assistant
Annie Gadbois
Monika Risi
Laurence Leclerc
Jacob Auclair-Fortier
Double Basses
Marc Denis, solo
Denis Chabot, assistant
Richard Capolla
Anaïs Vigeant
Flutes
Ariane Brisson, solo
Josée Poirier
Jean-Philippe Tanguay, piccolo
Oboes
Kirsten Zander, solo
David Jomphe
Clarinets
Zaven Zakarian, solo
François Martel
Bassoons
Lise Millet, solo
Karine Breton
Horns
Jocelyn Veilleux, solo
Maude Lussier
Lyne Santamaria
Guillaume Roy
Trumpets
Benjamin Raymond, solo
Francis Pigeon
Tazmyn Eddy
Aura West
Trombones
Martin Ringuette, solo
Renaud Gratton
Hugo Bégin, bass
Tuba
Scott Cheyne, solo
Timpani
François St-Jean, solo
Percussion
Catherine Meunier, solo
Béatrice Roy
Sébastien Lamontagne
Harp
Annabelle Renzo, solo
Celesta
Rosalie Asselin, solo
Orchestra Director
Richard Capolla
ABOUT THE SHOW
Duration
2h17, including intermission
Prologue: 4 min.
Act I: 1h03 min.
Intermission: 20 min.
Act II: 40 min.
LES GRANDS BALLETS
