PINA BAUSCH FOUNDATION + ECOLE DES SABLES + SADLER’S WELLS | THE RITE OF SPRING & COMMON GROUND[S]

In this exceptional collaboration, some 30 dancers from 14 African countries perform Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring and pay tribute to her unparalleled genius. One of the highlights of the season!

An emblem of modernity, Stravinsky’s masterpiece, with its extraordinary telluric power, has inspired generations of contemporary choreographers. This “great pagan sacred ritual,” in the composer’s own words, is a landmark in the work of Pina Bausch. For several months, at the École des Sables, south of Dakar, a team of artists from Tanztheater Wuppertal revived and shared the essence of the Rite choreographed by Bausch in 1975 with performers from 14 African countries. On the soil-covered stage, male and female dancers clash and engage in a wild and poetic struggle that culminates in the sacrifice of the Chosen One.

To open the evening, common ground[s] witnesses the meeting between Germaine Acogny, first lady of contemporary African dance and founder of the École des Sables, and Malou Airaudo, an icon of the first hour of Tanztheater Wuppertal. Two women’s destinies and two dance traditions intertwine in a sensitive and moving duet, reflecting their connection and rich respective histories.

- Post-performance talk with the artists Wednesday, October 5 and Friday, October 7, 2022.