One hundred and thirteen years ago, a ballet shook the music and theatre world to its foundations: Le Sacre du printemps. Set to startling, rhythmical music, a young woman is chosen to dance herself to death as a sacrificial offer for a new spring.
Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe reinterprets this iconic work by composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky and shines his contemporary light on the timeless theme of sacrifice and transformation.
As a reflection of Stravinsky’s ritualistic score, Lander Gyselinck composes and improvises compelling new music on drums and electronics. On stage, Meirhaeghe presents portraits of three women – performers Sophia Rodriguez, Charly Ange Fogaroli and Courtney May Robertson – whose lives in and out of the spotlight have, each in their own way, come at a price. a rite of spring promises to not only be a tribute to a classic but also a radical account of sacrifices women make today.
"A magnet for the eyes and ears holds centre stage in this Rite of Spring: Lander Gyselinck. He drums his heart out. Through his drumming, he expresses the passionate spirit of the women."
"Meirhaeghe once again proves himself to be a good curator. He has an eye for new talent and unexpected alliances, as we saw in the generous Chapters of Celebration. His retro-futuristic style also remains special."
"Meirhaeghe presents ‘a Sacre’ that amounts to a critical interpretation and knowledgeable embodiment of the multifaceted nature of this iconic work…. A rite of spring is a duality of music and action: an idiosyncratic form of music theatre that mixes the playfulness of cabaret and the immediacy of concertante with the seriousness of autobiography and the freedom of dansant."
"Meirhaeghe is a man of innovation and experimentation. His starting point for this new production was: “We’re going to do something completely different than Stravinsky and Nijinsky.” Said and done. Drummer Lander Gyselinck takes the place of a whole orchestra. On his drums, supplemented with electronic soundscapes, he is the metronome for three female performers who tell their story through word and dance.… After which 'A Rite of Spring' eases up a little and the women each tell their own stories, which are about identity and self-development. These are both hilarious and touching."
director
- Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe
music
- Lander Gyselinck
performance
- Charly Ange Fogaroli
- Courtney May Robertson
- Sophia Rodriguez
- Lander Gyselinck
scenography
- Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe
image
- Mariana Rebola
- Elsa Rouy
- Sanam Khatibi
costume design
- Stefan Kartchev
light design
- Nicolaas de Rooij
light design assistance
- Tim Vermeulen
choreografische voorbereiding
- Shane Urton
dramaturgy
- Tom Swaak
outside eye
- Louise Van den Eede
production
- Opera Ballet Vlaanderen
coproduction
- Toneelhuis
with the support of
- Tax Shelter maatregel v/d Belgische Federale Overheid
