Emily Tucker- The Heroes Journey in Don Quixote

    Don Quixote is a ballet inspired by a part of Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote. It focuses on the storyline centered around Kitri, a beautiful village girl to whom Don Quixote believes to be the love of his life, his Dulcinea. The problem is that Kitri is in love with a poor barber, Basilio. Her father, Lorenzo, disapproves greatly and has arranged Kitri's marriage Gamache, a rich, old nobleman. Kitri and Basilio end up running away together, only to be followed by Lorenzo, Gamache, and Don Quixote. When the search party finds the two lovers dancing in a village with the villagers, Basilio fakes his own death professing his love to Kitri. After his "death", Lorenzo finally consents to Kitri and Basilio's love and Basilio comes back to life. The ballet ends with a big wedding for Kitri and Basilio.

    Don Quixote's journey begins with his call to adventure. For Don Quixote, his call arises from his excess reading of novels and books about heroes and knights fighting battles and marrying beautiful maidens. He believes he is a knight and appoints Sancho Panza as his squire. Sancho Panza represents his mentor/helper in his journey. Sancho is the complete opposite of Don Quixote- he's scared, short, and symbolizes rationality. On the contrary, Don Quixote is brave, tall, and a dreamer. He believes that in order to find his Dulcinea, he must go on a series of journeys to gain honor and nobility, and only then, will he find his Dulcinea.

    While searching for Kitri and Basilio, Don Quixote encounters a windmill, which he delusionally believes to be a giant. To gain his nobility, he "fights" the windmill with a lance and ends up falling into a deep dream. His dream represents the "Belly of the Whale" stage of his heroes journey. In the dream, he sees dryads and a beautiful garden, and his Dulcinea. He awakes just as he tries uniting with Dulcinea. Through this dream Don Quixote is "reborn". 

    When Don Quixote, Gamache, and Lorenzo finally catch up to Kitri and Basilio, Don Quixote's eyes are opened to Kitri and Basilio's love for one another, which represents his growth and interior journey. After Basilio's "death" he helps Kitri convince Lorenzo to allow her to marry Basilio. After the beautiful marriage of Kitri and Basilio, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza continue on their journey, where the ballet ends. 

    

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