ABOUT PERFORMANCE
A few years ago, French choreographer Heddy Maalem visited Nigeria and one of its most mysterious cities of Lagos. This is where he got the idea to create the African Dancing Trilogy — Black Spring, Order of Battle, and The Rite of Spring. According to Maalem, the main idea of the trilogy is the combination of the rhythm of big cities, developed civilization with fierce, primal African element. «And Africa — a whole continent contained in the space which separates the day as it ends, from the beginning of the next one, daybreak. The end and the beginning of the world, a world on its knees when Stravinsky saw Red suns coming up in the East. A continent from which springs — at the same time as a promise — the thickening anguish of spring».
The Territory festival brings to Moscow the most intriguing, and provocative part of the trilogy — The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. For the first time in the history of ballet choreography, the famous Stravinsky music will be performed by a troupe composed of 14 African dancers. Instead of a classical black box stage, there will be a white pavilion (a traditional museum or gallery space; black floor, which looks similar to a city sidewalk, Stravinsky's music and an uncontrollable, memorizing dance, both tender and passionate, aggressive and mysterious.
Coproduction: CDC / Centre de Développement Chorégraphique de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Théâtre National de Toulouse/Théâtre de la Cité, Le Parvis / Scène Nationale Tarbes-Pyrénées, Centre Culturel Français de Bamako, Centre Culturel Français de Lagos, La Rose des Vents / Scène Nationale de Villeneuve-d'Ascq, La Ferme du Buisson / Scène Nationale de Marne-la-Vallée, CCN de Biarritz co-direction, Les Francophonies en Limousin.
Artistic residency: Centre Culturel Français de Bamako, TNT — Théâtre de la Cité Toulouse, Théâtre d'Angoulême / Scène Nationale, Centre culturel Jean-Pierre Fabrègue Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche dans le cadre des Francophonies en Limousin. With the support of the AFAA (Association Française d'action artistique), Elf Petroleum Nigeria.