Don Quixote a la Mariinsky

The Mariinsky Ballet from St. Petersburg were in Singapore for a few nights to perform the Spanish classic, Don Quixote. I'd never seen the Miguel Cervantes tale in ballet form, but it was, excitingly, an explosion of color, grace and athleticism.

Scheduled to run an astounding three hours long with two (!) intermissions, I was a little skeptical if the performance could be captivating for that long, despite my love for the genre. But I was pleasantly surprised. The world class Mariinsky Ballet Company (alumni include the great Pavlova, Nureyev, and Barishnikov) put on quite the show, and the visual eloquence held my attention to the very end. Included are pictures from the program brochure.

I often wonder about what sort of life a ballet dancer (principal if he or she are talented enough) leads. Doesn't it seem like every little girl (present company included) takes ballet lessons at one point? Like so many athletes, they must face a tough reality that after a certain age, they have to move on to become choreographers, teachers, or enter other fields altogether. It seems unfair that they have to end their careers so early despite the grueling devotion they must put into it.

I guess that means I'm quite content being on the other side, a member of the audience reveling in the glamour they exude.