the Line Festival at FIAF’s Le Skyroom, 22 East 60th Street (between Park and Madison Avenue).
Without a doubt, Nora is one of the most daring and note-worthy performers in dance today. For this new work, Nora joins the long list of dance-makers as they celebrate the centenary of composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky’s revolutionary work, The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps) which premiered in Paris by Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes on May 29, 1913, at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. Remembered as causing an incredulous riot among the affluent in Russia because it dared to present paganism, revolt, rivalry, sacrifice and abject passion at a time when ballet was not seen as such, Sacre as it was affectionately
called, was the cause for uproar in the dance world. Reportedly influenced by the myth about the power of the Russian pagan spring, Stravinsky set out to tell the tale in three parts: The Awakening of Nature to the thawing of earth, the Adoration of the Earth (with fertility rites that bring forth spring), and the eventual climax wherein a maiden dances (sacrifices) herself to death as she propitiates to the God of spring. Today, Stravinsky and Nijinsky’s The Rite of Spring is revered as a legendary ballet of the 20th century; a riot that is forever remembered. Nora will perform part one of her solo rite riot created in collaboration with Nigerian-American writer Teju Cole, a Crossing the Line 2011 artist, and Kenyan-born visual artist Wangechi Mutu.
Nora shared some thoughts on this new work:
Charmaine: That is a fabulous photo of you by Antoine Tempe! Does it say anything about Nora, or the work? Or is it just a fabulous photo of you?
Nora: The photo says everything about Nora, the work, and equally says as much about Antoine and about the
chemistry between the camera /object - photographer /sitter relationship. It also says what the attitude of the choreographer is to herself, and to whoever should gaze back at her. The old adage, “A picture says a thousand words,” [in this case] is true. We [Antoine and I] call [the photo] “Grace” after the fabulous [singer,
model and actress] Grace Jones. But it might as well be [Pablo Picasso’s] “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon!”
Anyway, it makes you ask, “Who has the power”? “Who is beholding whom”?
I love the “so-what-ness" of it. You know I am a disciple of Miles Davis!
Charmaine: With the world already celebrating the centenary of The Rite of Spring, what made you want to
make a version?
Nora: [The Rite of Spring is a] …ritual of spring, as it is celebrated, conjured, invented, described, manufactured by Stravinsky and Nijinsky. This innovative opportunity is something every creative mind is gunning for; the real deal, a falsehood that is true. I wanted to participate (un/commissioned), in this
celebration. I want to shout my praise to these daring Russians. I wondered if I could dare to make a rite myself. So I am attempting a riot instead. I think I could manufacture a riot; “occupy my body" type thing. I
cannot invent a pagan past, [but] I want to invent a pagan present.