Ériu’s Rite of Spring to be performed at the Festival Diaghilev P.S. in St. Petersburg 22nd Nov 2019
On Friday 22nd November CIT School of Music lecturers Sabine Ducrot and Michael Joyce will accompany Ériu Dance Company’s performance of Breandán de Gallaí's Irish dance version of The Rite of Spring at the Festival Diaghilev PS in St Petersburg, Russia.
De Gallaí's Rite of Spring premiered in Cavan in 2012 where it opened Fleadh Ceol na hÉrireann to an outdoor audience of 15,000 spectators. Irish dance steps intertwine with Stravinsky's iconic Russian music to produce a startlingly original version of The Rite, which explores issues of the alpha - and beta -, and homoeroticism, whilst at the same time being entirely faithful to the original ballet.
Festival Diaghilev PS is the world's most prestigious festivals of ballet and modern dance. Founded to celebrate Diaghilev's achievements on Russian soil, is serves as both a platform and an engine of innovation in dance and presents exciting choreographers such as Wayne McGregor, Akram Khan, Matthew Bourne, ABT's Alexei Ratmansky, the Hamburg Ballet's John Neumeier. Ériu Dance Company holds dual headline status with Provincial Dances Theatre, Russia's premier contemporary dance company, who are performing Les Noces
Speaking on the eve of their departure to Russia, Ériu's Director and Choreographer Breandán de Gallaí said: "I am deeply honoured that my Rite of Spring has been selected for performance at the 110th celebrations of the Saisons Russe in St Petersburg, the birthplace of Stravinsky and the Ballets Russes.”
Ériu Dance Company wishes to thank the Festival and its sponsors, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the St Petersburg Culture Committee for making this possible, and the Embassy of Ireland in the Russian Federation for their interest and support.