Dance: East meets West

The Rite of Spring
choreographer Seeta Patel
music Igor Stravinsky
performers Kamala Devam, Sarveshan Gangen, Sarah Gasser, Aishani Ghosh, Kieran Heralall, Nidhaga Karunad, Kishore Kuman Krishnan, Indu Bhageloe Panday, Seeta Patel, Shree Savani, Adhya Shastry, Moritz Zavan Stoeckle, Sooraj Subramaniam
musicians Samyukta Ranganathan, Prathap Ramachandran, Vijay Venkat, Roopa Mahadevan and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conductor Kirill Karabits
sets Rachana Jadhav
costumes Sandhya Raman, Anshu and Jason
lighting Warren Letton
Sadler's Wells, London • 13-14.Mar.23

Dancer-choreographer Seeta Patel merges traditional South Indian dance with Western classical music in this astonishing two-part show. Traditional bharatanatyam dance involves creating delicate shapes with hands and feet along with lively facial expressions to convey both narrative and emotional depth. And shifting the philosophical perspective to the East brings both fresh resonances and a riveting sense of earthy connection.

The show opens with Shree, in which Patel appears on-stage by herself, accompanied by projections from which she is born as Mother Nature then progresses through the seasons accompanied by voice (Ranganathan), percussion (Ramachandran) and flute (Venkat), eventually approaching her inevitable wintry death. It's a fascinating introduction to the wholistic approach of bharatanatyam, telling a story through eloquent, full-bodied physicality that's seamlessly integrated with the music.

While Shree may feel perplexing to a Western audience, it forms an astonishing foundation for The Rite of Spring, with the full Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra performing Stravinsky's music along with 12 seriously agile dancers in costumes that blur gender lines. Vivid lighting provides striking atmospherics on the plain stage, as the performers swirl and spin around each other. From sequences in unison, dancers single themselves out until it becomes clear that one has been chosen as their leader, leading to a series of consequential interactions. There's a fluidity to the performance that's hypnotic, using patterns, shapes and colours to connect with the audience on a visceral level. 

Split into two segments with an undulating interlude, The Rite of Spring explores the connections between humanity and nature, shifting through moments that are playful, powerful, sexy and yearning. The dancers and musicians seem like they're almost supernaturally connected to each other. And an profound sense of purpose emerges as the chosen one rises to the demands of his position. Which makes the show a subtle, provocative reminder of the responsibilities we have simply because we are living beings.

For information, visit SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by Foteini Christofilopoulou • 13.Mar.23

Dance: Elemental humanity

The Rite of Spring
choreography Pina Bausch
music Igor Stravinsky
restaging: artistic direction Josephine Ann Endicott, Jorge Puerta Armenta, Clémentine Deluy
set and costumes Rolf  Borzik
Sadler's Wells, London • 7-11.Jun.22

Originally choreographed by Pina Bausch at the Opera House Wuppertal in 1975, this piece has lost none of its visceral power nearly a half-century later. As we enter the theatre, stagehands are still raking and tilling a layer of soil that extends across the stage. And yes, this is part of the show, which uses the iconic Stravinsky music to recount a shattering story of elemental humanity.

With one dancer lying in the dirt in a pool of red cloth, two dozen barefoot performers enter the stage, half of them men and half of them women, gliding and pulsating, stretching their backs, rippling their muscles, heaving their bodies into the air. Occasionally the men and women regroup on their own, challenging each other and ultimately singling out a woman, who is then dressed in red and must now give the performance of her life.

There's earth-rattling power in this combination of music and movement, augmented by the fact that this is the first time that Bausch's work has been performed by a group of dancers from Africa. This gives the piece extra ripples of meaning, as it's rooted in history from the dawn of humanity while echoing the slave era, civil rights protests and Black Lives Matter. And it's so universal that it's impossible not to be carried away by the raw emotions on display.

The dancers pour everything into their performances as they become drenched in sweat, so much so that gasping for breath becomes part of the choreography. The sheer energy of the performances carries its own impact, with added reverberations in how such passionate movement echoes through society, gender and race. Yes, this is a challenging and experiential piece that demands a visceral connection with the audience. And it leaves us almost as breathless as the performers.

For information, visit SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by Maarten Vanden Abeele • 7.Jun.22