Sacre by the French choreographer David Wampach is a radical adaptation of the legendary Sacre du Printemps. The original ballet by Nijinsky to Stravinsky’s music was innovative in every possible way and its première in 1913 caused great scandal.
Wampach in his turn renews and rethinks it. Of the original music he retains not more than two chords. Also Nijinsky’s choreography is reduced to a handful of essential movements for two dancers (Wampach himself and Tamar Shelef). The true source of inspiration is the original costumes by Nicolas Roerich. “I approach Sacre du Printemps from the costumes because they have always been equally important as the dance and the set in my earlier work : costumes that hide and reveal, dress and undress.”
What appeals to Wampach in the original Sacre is the rite, the state of ecstasy, the high and the flush. The dancers –the sacrifices- move over the stage imprisoned by fear. They breathe heavily, they pant, they hyperventilate and are dragged along in the exhausting crescendo which irrevocably leads to the advancing climax.
Choreography David Wampach / With Tamar : Shelef et David Wampach / Costumes Rachel Garcia et Laurence Alquier / Sound Mikko Hynninen / Director Gaëtan Lebret / with the artistic collaboration of Chiara Gallerani, Johanna Korthals Altes, Enora Rivière, Mark Tompkins et Christian Ubl / Thanks Dominique Brun / Production Association Achles / Coproduction Festival Montpellier Danse, Centre national de la danse - Pantin, Centre chorégraphique national de Franche-Comté à Belfort, le Cratère, Scène nationale d’Alès./ With support of Fondation d'entreprise Hermès, Tanzquartier à Vienne et l’adc à Genève dans le cadre de Modul-dance, et la Ménagerie de Verre dans le cadre des Studiolabs./ With support of Centre Chorégraphique National Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon.
