Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing…*

So begins Miguel de Cervantes’ epic shaggy dog story Don Quixote, a timeless story of love and adventure, and one of the greatest works in the classical ballet canon.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Don Quixote, first seen in 2008, is a flirtatious delight, combining virtuoso choreography with comic flair in a spectacular staging that will appeal to all ages.

Feisty lovers Kitri and Basilio and their friends take centre stage in a sunny setting inspired by 1950s Barcelona. Don Quixote, who dreams of knightly adventures, blunders into the romance, almost losing his fortune and his mind in the process…but love conquers all, and the ballet ends with a sumptuous wedding.

*Opening of Don Quixote, Volume I, Chapter One, by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman