Dancer and choreographer Xie Xin has turned painful memories into inspiration, creating a new version of "The Rite of Spring," which is to premiere in Shanghai next month.

On December 29, 2023, a fire caused by an accident burnt down the Xiexin Dance Theater in Songjiang District.

The rehearsal room, dance studio and warehouse were all damaged, resulting in a loss of several million yuan to the independent dance troupe.

When dealing with the painful memory, Xie found that a catastrophe could unlock people's inner beliefs and unite them. And then came the inspiration of creating her version of the famous "The Rite of Spring."

"(Late German dance legend) Pina Bausch's version is already perfect, fully showcasing the theme of humanity," said Xie.

"It's a dance about sacrifice, but it didn't give the sacrificed person much opportunity to speak," she said. "In our version, danger and fear are amplified, and then there comes a group of people living towards death."

Two pianists and two percussionists will join the 11 dancers on stage for the performance, giving a new approach to the classic composition by Stravinsky.

"Compared with an orchestra, the power of the double piano may be a weakness," said percussionist Fu Yifei, who is also the music arranger of the new work.

"So we added percussion instruments to reflect the wild and original style of the music."

"The Rite of Spring" will make its world debut at Shanghai International Dance Center Theater on February 21.

In the first half of the double-bill performance, the dancers and musicians will present another original dance theater work "In Satie," the music of which was adapted from nine compositions by French composer Erik Satie.

Performance info

Dates: February 21-22, 7:30pm

Tickets: 80-680 yuan

Venue: Shanghai International Dance Center 上海国际舞蹈中心

Address: 1650 Hongqiao Rd 虹桥路1650号