The Rite of Spring

The Rite of Spring is an infamous ballet that had controversy surrounding it in the performing arts. Created by Igor Stravinsky, the Rite of Spring (1913) is a chaotic piece that sparked rumors and outrage. They called him a madman, people saw it as a sick joke, and it is said that they rioted because of this.

     So why? How did this music and choreography go so terribly wrong? Let's take a look at the music and discuss the ballet. The music is chaotic, with bits that shine throughout the complicated piece. It’s something that the regular ear may call “noise,” but it brings itself together through each section. 

     It tells a story through the music and ballet, with repeating sections that break through with something different. Every time, it’s unique. What people disliked about it was the chaotic mess and how there was a sacrifice at the end. I am curious how these people felt watching it unfold since this is a long piece that comes up to about 35 minutes long. 

     The dancers were said to have struggled to perform their choreography due to how noisy the crowd was and how they couldn’t hear the music. But despite this, they still performed this about a dozen more times before the choreography was lost. Vaslav Nijinsky made the original choreography, and people have had to remake it. The ballet has interesting costumes, separating the characters into different groups. During the second segment, “The Sacrifice,” there is only one group onstage where they form a circle and have a young girl dance herself to death. The ballet overall is like the music but a bit pieced together. 

     The people in the crowd were as chaotic as the music itself, and there may have been a rumored riot. They’ve probably expected something classical, like how classical music and ballet are usually interpreted. Elegant and beautiful, but not every piece has to be that way.