Tom's Life Bits

Rite of Spring

This was a different program for Carolina Ballet. The first number, Street Noise, was modern hip hop with rap music and ballerinas in tutus moon walking on point. While it was “interesting” it was so refreshing to see traditional ballet in the Siegfried Idyl. This was refreshing and beautiful and is why we come to the ballet. I'm not so sure about the other stuff. The Rite of Spring was very modern and “ADF like”. The music of course has always been 20th century modern but in the past it was choreographed by the likes of Balanchine. I'm not so sure this is an improvement.

Program Notes:

The great Russian composer Igor Stravinsky created “The Rite of Spring” (Le Sacre du Printemps) for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe in 1913, which was originally choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky. He said at the time “I tried to evoke the mystery and surge of the creative power of spring…like the whole earth cracking…I was guided by no system whatever, I heard, and I wrote what I heard.” This version choreographed for Oregon Ballet Theatre in 2009 by Christopher Stowell, was hailed by critics as “a sleek, sophisticated, thoroughly neo-classical version” of this famous ballet. Robert Weiss’ Idyll adds to the program, celebrating the 200th birthday of Richard Wagner. Also featuring Zalman Raffael’s new hip hop ballet A Street Symphony.

Review: Triangle & Entertainment March 9th

Carolina Ballet is hip, classical, and edgy

by Denise Cerniglia+ • March 9th, 2013
“I know I can… be what I want to be.” The truth of these words from I can by Nas is evident for Carolina Ballet dancers. They are presenting three new and innovative ballets in this season’s fifth program. They can be urban street, pure and classical, and accessories to unadulterated acts of nature.

A Street Symphony, choreographed by Zalman Raffael, is set to music ranging from Beethoven to Busta Rymes, including the above-mentioned song, I can. Lovely ballerinas are transformed into gangsters in tutus, but some pull off badass (ready to behave in an unpleasant way if necessary, Macmillan Dictionary) more naturally than others. The seven short dances consist of classical ballet steps with an edge interspersed with dance club moves.

The slow monotonous beat of the hip-hop music becomes tiresome after a while, but it becomes fresh again with the frequent song and dance change. The rhythm of the dance often matches precisely with the simple rhythm of the words; for every syllable you hear, there is a corresponding dance step. As opposed to the more complex musical and dance patterns in traditional ballet dances, the song and dance might repeat in your head like a catchy radio tune for hours after you’ve left the theater.

Carolina Ballet in A Street Symphony choreographed by Zalman Raffael