Ballet in Cinema: THE RITE OF SPRING

When The Rite of Spring premiered at the Ballets Russes in 1913, the audience was in such an uproar – literally shouting and throwing things at the orchestra – that composer Igor Stravinsky had to retreat to the wings of the stage. Since then, the work has become one of the most popular pieces of dance music in the repertoire. This new choreographic version by Wayne McGregor, commissioned by the Bolshoi to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ballet, brings new energy to the themes of the Russian Spring, the Adoration of the Earth, and of course the provocative Sacrifice of the Virgin.