Ballet Synopsis

Kitri (Lucette Aldous) defies her father, Lorenzo (Francis Croese).

The ballet opens in the market square of Barcelona, Spain. Kitri (Lucette Aldous), daughter of Lorenzo (Francis Croese), a local innkeeper, dances on in search of her lover Basilio (Rudolf Nureyev), a young barber. They hope to marry, but Kitri's father has another husband in mind for her: Gamache (Colin Peasley), the town fop.

The action moves to the house of Don Quixote (Sir Robert Helpmann), where he lies dreaming of the Lady Dulcinea, heroine of one of his many mighty tomes, which line the walls of his bedchamber. Carried away by his dream, he plays out one of his fantasy heroic deeds on his big four-poster bed, making a shadow play on the wall as he lunges dramatically with his sword and imagines the rescue of Dulcinea. At the height of his vision, he is rudely interrupted by his servant, Sancho Panza (Ray Powell), bursting into the bedchamber, hotly pursued by angry village women from whom he has stolen a chicken. The Don drives them away and, still filled with his visionary view of himself as a medieval knight-errant, has Sancho Panza knight him. Then he dons his rusty old armor and sets off in search of his dream lady, accompanied by Sancho as his squire.

The foppish Gamache, Kitri's suitor, played by Colin Peasley.

Back at the market square, Kitri and Basilio have a happy meeting, but it is quickly broken up by Lorenzo, who is angry that Kitri prefers Basilio to Gamache. An elderly man of great riches, Gamache asks him for Kitri's hand. Lorenzo accepts for his daughter and tries to force her into agreeing; she flatly refuses. Once more there is dancing. The Don, who has arrived with his squire, watches Kitri with Basilio and sees her as Dulcinea, the lady of his dreams. He asks her to dance. Much to the rage of Gamache, Kitri does, but quickly returns to Basilio. Soon, under the cover of the dancing and with the help of their friends, the young lovers flee, hotly pursued by Lorenzo and Gamache. They, in turn, are followed by the Don and Sancho.

Kitri and Basilio escape by cart to the plain of Montiel, where they think they have found safety. But they are soon captured by a band of Gypsies, just as Lorenzo, Gamache, the Don, and Sancho are sighted in the distance. Basilio plots with the Gypsies to deceive the Don and set him against Lorenzo and Gamache; they join in the scheme. The Gypsy Chief (Ronald Bekker) dons a cloak and a crown and pretends to be a king to the bewilderment of the Don, who pays homage to him. The "King" orders festivities and dancing, in which the disguised Kitri and Basilio take part.

A marionette performance follows, which delights the old knight. But he mistakes the marionette soldiers for real ones, draws his sword, and attacks them. He then destroys the marionette theater. As he does, the sails of one of the windmills around the Gypsy encampment start to turn slowly, and the Don launches himself at it and attacks it with his spear. He is caught in the sails and carried high into the air, loses his grip, and crashes to the ground. The Gypsies run away, but soon return disguised as

The magical world of the Dryads as envisioned by the Don.

monsters and pretend to haunt the Don and his squire.

Half conscious after his fall, the Don, convinced he has saved Dulcinea, dreams a dream in which he is transported to a magic garden as a reward for his valor. There, the Queen of the Dryads (Marilyn Rowe) takes him to Dulcinea (Lucette Aldous), and he promptly declares his love for her. But as he does, the dream fades and the Don returns to reality to find himself alone with Sancho among the windmills.

At a tavern outside Barcelona, the lovers, having escaped the enraged Lorenzo and the thwarted Gamache, celebrate with their friends. Lorenzo and Gamache arrive, with Lorenzo still determined to force Kitri to marry Gamache. In desperation, Basilio pretends to stab himself with his dagger, and Kitri implores the Don for help.

Basilio (Rudolf Nureyev) and Kitri (Aldous) perform the pas de deux from the final scene.

Ever true to his sense of gallantry, the Don forces Lorenzo to bless Kitri and Basilio before the young lovers are parted forever. But no sooner have they received the blessing than Basilio leaps to his feet, and the infuriated Gamache challenges the Don to a duel. Gamache is defeated, the lovers are united, and they and their friends move to the square for dancing and the wedding breakfast.

Basilio has one more trick to play on the incredulous Don. He persuades Gamache to dress up as a vision, which the Don immediately sees as his Dulcinea. But Gamache quickly reveals himself and, when he does, a disillusioned Don mounts his old horse and rides slowly from the scene, a sadly pathetic figure, but still accompanied by the faithful Sancho Panza, still fired with his dreams of chivalry, and still seeking deeds to prove his devotion to the service of his beloved Dulcinea.