Pennsylvania Ballet is presenting the world premiere of a new Don Quixote March 3-13 at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. Angel Corella, the company’s Artistic Director, has re-created a new version of the ballet.

Formerly a star with American Ballet Theatre, Mr. Corella has appeared on most of the great stages of the world during his long dancing career. According to published accounts, he has appeared in over two hundred performances of Don Quixote, so it is unsurprising that the first ballet he would choreograph for his new company would be Don Quixote. This new production retains the revered choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov while incorporating elements from productions Mr. Corella remembers performing at la Scala, The Royal Ballet, and other companies. Rarely performed as an entire ballet, most audiences know it only as the “Don Quixote pas de deux,” so these performances are a rare treat for Philadelphia audiences.

The performance I attended was the Sunday, March 6 matinee. Mr. Ian Hussey was scheduled to dance, but is injured, so apprentice Aaron Anker stepped into the starring role of Basilio. It is Basilio who we usually see performing balletic magic onstage in the pas de deux. The young Mr. Anker did not disappoint. One would never know that he had to step in at short notice, or that he joined the company only this season as an apprentice. His acting through mime during his flirtation scenes with Kitri, his love interest (never an easy thing for dancers to learn), was beautifully performed, often provoking chuckles from the audience. Mr. Anker is also cute as a button.

Kitri was danced by the excellent Lillian DiPiazza, who appeared to have had the role genetically programmed into every cell of her body. By turns coquettish, vivacious, obstinate, and meltingly deliquescent, Ms. DiPiazza had the audience in the palm of her hand from the first act, then during her star turn in the second act dream sequence, and, finally, triumphantly, in her grand duet.

The first act of Don Quixote is mostly exposition, introducing characters and reveling the plot. With the second act, this production truly shines. The Gypsy camp was astonishing. Except for the windmill, one could imagine a Martha Graham landscape, so severe and intriguing were the trees. Abetting this image, was the wild, Spanish dancing by Amy Aldridge, who could probably step into a Martha Graham dance without a second thought. Arian Molina Soca danced his role as Gypsy King with style and aplomb while looking gorgeous. As Don Quixote, veteran dancer Charles Askegard was brilliant. If one could compare George Balanchine (who once danced the character in his elder years in his own version of the ballet) to Mr. Askegard as Don Quixote, Mr. Askegard would not take second place. Don Quixote’s dream was luxurious, in that there was an entire classical ballet-within-a-ballet not unlike the “Dream of the Shades” from La Bayadere. The third act displayed brilliance and panache, with Ms. DiPiazza and Mr. Anker looking fabulous and dancing sublimely.

Don Quixote will be at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia until March 13. For further information, visit: https://www.paballet.org/don-quixote