The naively optimistic plot of the ballet Don Quixote cannot really be compared with the novel of the same name, by Miguel de Cervantes. What, then, is the reason for the ballet's success over the decades? The answer lies in the dance elements, the ballet's unfaltering attraction. Don Quixote was written for wealthy Moscow, a city that has left its mark on the form of this work.
After the premiere, critics were unanimous in their praise, calling the ballet "a colorful and rich splendor in all its elements" - the theatrical carnivalesque atmosphere, the juicy sultriness of Spain, the passion of the plot, and, of course, the stunning, fiery dances.