The Rite of Spring | Pina Bausch

Stravinsky’s masterpiece, an icon of modernity, has inspired multiple generations of choreographers with its exceptional earthly powers. Described by the composer as a “grand pagan ritual”, the work is also a milestone in the oeuvre of Pina Bausch. Over the course of a number of months in Senegal’s École des Sables, a team of dancers of Tanztheater Wuppertal relived and shared the essence of Bausch’s Rite choreography with 36 performers from 14 African countries. On a stage covered with earth, the male and female dancers clash and engage in a wild and poetic battle that culminates in the sacrifice of ‘the Chosen’. 

To open the evening, common ground[s] is a witness to the encounter between Germaine Acogny, first lady of contemporary African dance and founder of the École des Sables, and Malou Airaudo, a pioneering icon of Tanztheater Wuppertal. The fates of two women and two dance traditions intertwine to form a sensitive and poignant duet that reflects their bond and the wealth of their respective histories. 

This programme was made possible by the International Dance Fund (Fonds Internationale Dans, FIND). Amare, Holland Dance Festival and Nederlands Dans Theater combine their forces in this Fund in order to present high-profile international dance productions in Amare and to consolidate The Hague’s reputation as the country’s number one city of dance. 

This cast, a tight community assembled from scratch, is immersed in both wrenchingly abstracted and realistic movement. ★★★★ THE GUARDIAN

As the community of dancers build to a climax, a sense of foreboding in the air, the combination of grace and visceral fury in their movement is electrifying. ★★★★ THE TIMES

The Rite of Spring, exactly the same choreography that Pina Bausch premiered in 1976, seemed last night more tragic and spectacular, more thrilling and perhaps also, favourably, more out of control. EL PAÍS ON THE RITE OF SPRING