John Cranko's masterpiece based on Alexander Pushkin's classic tale of romantic tragedy tells the story of the love between the shy Tatiana and the dandy Onegin.

Onegin

Semperoper Dresden

This is one of the most important ballets brought into being by Marius Petipa, the great French choreographer who is considered the father of classical ballet. He devised Don Quixote in 1869 for the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and staged its revised version two years later at the Mariinsky in Saint Petersburg. It explores an episode from Miguel de Cervantes’s famous novel and draws on more than a hundred-year presence of the theme on European ballet stages. The score was written according to the choreographer’s instructions by Ludwig Minkus, Austrian violinist and ballet composer with long-standing links to Russia. Petipa’s work was complemented in 1900 with new sequences by Moscow-based choreographer Alexander Gorski. For this reason, they are now both listed as choreographers of the ballet

Don Quixote

Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera

Cranko’s Onegin, to be staged at the National Theatre, requires from the dancers expressive acting, brilliant technique and profound sense for conveying the characters’ emotions and feelings. Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse Eugene Onegin, a classic of Russian literature, enjoys worldwide fame and popularity. It depicts the story of hapless love between Onegin, a St Petersburg dandy, and Tatyana, the bashful daughter of a landowner. Cranko created his version for the Stuttgarter Ballett, who premiered it in 1965, with Márcia Haydée and Ray Barra in the lead roles. Pushkin’s heroes first appeared on stage owing to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who based his 1878 opera Eugene Onegin on the novel. Cranko, however, set his ballet to a compilation of other Tchaikovsky pieces, arranged by Kurt-Heinz Stolze.

National Theatre Prague

With his adaptation of Pushkin’s verse novel Eugene Onegin John Cranko created a masterpiece of narrative ballet and one of the most famous story ballets of the 20th century. Choreographer John Cranko presents the story of the ill-fated love between the young woman Tatyana and the anti-hero Onegin to a range of works by the composer Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky, though not his opera Eugene Onegin. It is as if he holds a magnifying glass up to the emotions and passions of his characters that become the motor of his dramaturgy, which is told exclusively through dance.

Vienna State Opera

A court ballet titled Don Quichotte was supposedly danced at the Louvre as early as 1614 (!). Overtime, themes from Cervantes’s work found a permanent place in ballet, leading to dozens of new stagings. None of them, however, was as sensational as Marius Petipa’s 1869 ballet, which continues to be staged to this day, refreshed and processed by successive generations of choreographers. Petipa commissioned Ludwig Minkus to write the melodic and vivacious music. The choreography was later revised by his student Alexandr Gorski, who added new dances to the great master’s work, making it even more impressive. Today, Petipa and Gorski are both recognised as the choreographers of the ballet. What is the secret of its enduring popularity across the world? The cheerful scenery of old-time Spain, the knight-errant of La Mancha, hilarious Sancho Panza, and clumsy Gamache never fail to charm the audience. In turn, the main characters, Kitri and Basilio, do not have a match in the classical repertoire when it comes to grace, vivaciousness, and dance virtuosity. It is an enthralling showcase of classical dance embellished with the Spanish style.

Steen Bjarke

Events

Upcoming events

Nov 14, 2026 - Jun 19, 2027

Onegin · Národní divadlo

Nov 29 - Dec 16, 2026

Onegin · Wiener Staatsoper

4 - 20 Feb, 2027

Don Quixote · Polish National Opera

Past events

Jun 27 - Jul 12, 2026

Onegin · Semperoper Dresden

Feb 27 - Mar 2, 2025

Don Quixote · Polish National Opera

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