Choreographed by Mikhail Baryshnikov after Petipa and Gorsky's original staging, this sparkling full-length production captures all the excitement, Spanish flair, and humor of Cervantes' original masterpiece. It is one of the most popular and joyful ballets surviving the imperial Russian ballet's repertory.

American Ballet Theatre was ecstatically received by the New York press for this performance. The New York Times described how 'the dancers had the audience gasping', while the New York Post felt that the company had 'never looked better. Dancing flows out of the Ballet with a boisterous beauty'.