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So elaborate was Rudolf Nureyev's
vision of the Cervantes classic that his lavish film ballet ultimately
required the facilities of a gigantic Australian airplane hangar
to produce. Choreographed and co-directed by Nureyev, the film received
its Sydney premiere in 1973, a London Royal Gala presentation in
1974, and went on to travel briefly to New York. Despite rave reviews,
prints gradually fell out of circulation and grew scarce. For 25
years, incomplete copies have been scattered across two continents,
with the film developing a reputation as a fabled lost treasure.
After a painstaking five-year process, Nureyev's DON QUIXOTE has
at long last been reassembled, digitally remastered, and restored
to its original glory. Starring Nureyev as Basilio, the production
also features Nureyev's co-director Sir Robert Helpmann as Don Quixote
and Lucette Aldous as Kitri.
In Meet the Artists, writer Gia Kourlas
explains what prompted Rudolf Nureyev to create this unique film
of the ballet. Learn why the film is considered such a truimph and
read a synopsis of the ballet in A
Look at the Work. Wallace Potts, film archivist for the Rudolf
Nureyev Foundation, discusses the making of the film and its restoration
in Behind the Scenes.
 
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Watch a portion of the virtuoso pas de deux from the final act of Rudolf Nureyev's DON QUIXOTE. (1:18) To view this video clip, you must have the free RealPlayer.
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