Be safe and merry!

Rite of Spring

This is a link to Joffrey Ballet’s performance of “Le Sacre du Printemps,” possibly one of the most infamous ballets in history. Choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, with music by Stravinsky, it’s premiere in 1913 caused a riot. Joffrey Ballet painstakingly reconstructed his choreography and staging from interviews with dancers, letters and contemporary accounts. Here is an article about that. (I disagree with the author that this was a precursor to modern dance. This, unlike so much of modern dance, was actually art. Simply because it uses jagged, geometric movements does not modern make. There is a cohesive, narrative theme. It was, however, completely new in theme and style for its 1913 audience). Viewing it is like being present at a terrible yet sacred ritual. The audience almost becomes an unwilling participant.

Nijinsky’s choreography taps into something primal and holy, holy like blood, holy like terror. The story tells of a sacrifice chosen to herald in the spring.

Learning New Things. :)

This is a really fascinating documentary about medieval midwifery. Thanks to Christie O. for sending it my way.