French “Spring Ritual” to come to Vietnam
Jean Claude Gallotta, the leading French contemporary choreographer, will bring one of the most outstanding ballets in the world to HCM City on June 27 and Hanoi on June 29, respectively.
"Spring Ritual" was composed in Paris 100 years ago. This ballet is about a religious ceremony, in which the female saint - a virgin – is sentenced by senior pious devotees to dance to death.
So far, there are more than 200 versions have been staged based on this work. The version by Gallotta is one of the most prominent in the 20th century.
The choreographer still retains the original music conducted and recorded by composer Igor Stravinsky (the author of this ballet). In his ballet, seven female dancers will play the female saint.
Gallotta is the director of the Grenoble National Ballet Centre (CCN). Since the early 1980s, he has been considered one of the most outstanding representatives of contemporary French dance.
After some time in New York in the late 70's, he established the Émile Dubois group, operating in Grenoble, later became the National Cheography Center in 1984.
He was the center’s director from 1986-1989. At this center, he composed over 60 ballets which have been performed throughout the continents, notably including Ulysse, Mammame, Dr. Labus, Presque Don Quichotte, The Tears of Marco Polo, 99 Duos, Three Generations, Cher Ulysse.
He was also the choreographer for many ballets of the ballet troupes of the Lyon Theatre and Paris Theatre. He also established and trained a Japanese dance group from 1997 to 2000.
"Spring Ritual" by Russian composer Stravinsky is considered one of the most influential ballets of the 20th century. However, after its debut at the Champs-Élysées Theatre in Paris on May 18, 1913, the ballet faced wave of pretty fierce criticism. It was said to be contrary to all the stereotypes of ballet.
The criticism made the Russian composer depressed and sick. He had to spend six weeks in a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine. It wasn’t until 1914 when the work was supported by the audience after a performance in Paris.
In an interview on February 13, 1913, Stravinsky said the ballet is a series of ancient rituals of the Russians. The content is divided into two main parts, the first entitled "L'Adoration de la terre - The adoration of the earth", and the next is called "Le Sacrifice - The sacrifice".