Rite of Spring - Joffrey Ballet 1987 

ngl this is totally me when my tribe chooses me as the sacrificial maiden and forces me to dance myself to death so spring may come again 😂💀

Imagine some early 20th century high end Parisians heading to the world premiere of a ballet by renowned composer Stravinsky who had already written the beloved Firebird, expecting elegant en-pointe only to be presented with such a contemporary and jarring composition. No wonder there was a riot.

I cannot perceive any modern interpretations of this ballet, they just don't make sense, but this one is a true masterpiece. I only wish the sound quality was better.

This is literally about moshing so hard that you die. Real hardcore

The way this music conveys the primal nature of the past is AMAZING

Someone: So you like ballet, which one is your favorite? Me: It's complicated.

Amazing how this ballet starts off slowly and quietly in an eerie way with just the bassoon, only to end in a very loud and abrupt jump scare with pretty much the entire orchestra.

29 May 1913: Parisians riot at an opera featuring the ritual self-sacrifice of a virgin. 28 July 1914: Europe embarks on a war featuring the ritual self-sacrifice of millions.

The feet marching in rhythm always gives me an uncomfortable chill. So good

My dance teachers were in this ballet lol 😅

Act I : Augurs of Spring 3:02 Ritual of Abduction 6:08 Spring Rounds 7:30 Ritual of the Rival Tribes 11:14 Procession of the Sage: The Sage 13:06 Dance of the Earth 14:09 Act II: Introduction 15:29….. Mystic Circles of the Young Girls 15:53 Glorification of the Chosen One 18:43 Evocation of the Ancestors 19:40 Ritual Action of the Ancestors 21:11 Sacrificial Dance 24:25

Ever since learning about the original ballet, the sacrificial dance has fascinated me most (as is natural for morbid curiosity). Out of all versions I've seen new and old, this one has to be my favourite. The fear and exhaustion is bursts from even the slightest deviations in choreography from other performances I've seen, evoking much stronger emotions.

It's so weird watching this after having only previously heard it in Fantasia with visuals of space, early Earth, volcanoes, and dinosaurs rather than humans

The chosen one's dance is much better here than on the Mariinsky version available on DVD. Her movements seem more deliberate and precise. She seems more frightened. I wish this would get a DVD release.

i want to cry...I am so alone here with this beauty...

I saw this at the Kennedy Center when it was first performed with Hodson and Archer gave a talk. I still have a poster with Beatriz Rodgriguez as the Chose One. Fabulous.

I meant to watch just a bit of it, but I was hypnotized. I watched the whole thing in one sitting, and I didn't even realize it.

Wow! I'm am close to tears. this is the best ballet I've ever seen! The ending was priceless!

That bassoon entry is so haunting

I was just reading "Nicholas Roerich: the Life and Art of a Russian Master", and when I discovered that the Joffrey Ballet had re-created the original production of Le Sacre de Printemps (The Rite of Spring) I had to put the book down and seek out this video. I've heard the music many times and seen a performance as a ballet, but this was absolutely spectacular.

I sure feel sad and sorry for the Chosen Girl. It just so unfair and unjust that the others had to sacrifice her to her death.

By the way stravinsky had a dream one night about a sacrifice in the form of a dance to death. This then inspired him to write this amazing ballet. Historically the Russian tribes used to do these sacrifices in hope to make their spring less deadly (as the winter ice melts and floods the land ect).

I love this. It grips me every time I experience it! Wonderful.

Thank you so much! Even after 100 years, the music continues to amaze with its bold inventiveness, elemental power and savage beauty. Long live the Rite!

The soul of human beings and the dynamic feeling of the body are represented brilliantly. It is a thing to draw a line with the previous ballet.

It is my understanding that Nijinsky’s choreography required the dancers to step on the off beat. It is famous that Nijinsky had a hard time getting the dancers to step on the off beat.

This is scarier than Fantasia!

this version is so full of suspense .... I love this so...

The movements of the circle @ 23mins in enchanting.

the savagery of this ballet scares the hell out of me more than anything violent I've ever seen.

Between Nijinsky's version and Pina Bausch's, whichever one I'm watching is always the best. They are both that good to me.

In their dance, the dancers somewhat resemble mechanical automatons. In their makeup, they also resemble porcelain dolls. Is this what Nijinski might have had in mind?

This version is much closer to the original story. The versions of Bejart and Pausch in comparison seem to be just saloon dancing.

yes it does deserve to be in one piece but 7 years ago the first poster had no choice. RU-vid only allowed 10 minute uploads.

This is definitely the first stomp the yard ever

It is quite remarkable how much Nijinsky's choreography still upsets some people. It needs to be considered in the context of what he had already created. L'Après-midi d'un faune ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wQq_cqyJlK8.html Jeux ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EkJcz0nkMjw.html I wonder what Till Eulenspiegel must have looked like. I can see Nijinky's influence feeding through to one of my favourite dance works, Christopher Bruce's Ghost Dances. What amuses me is how some people complain how unrealistic the choreography is, yet dancing en pointe isn't exactly natural, is it?

I could watch this for the rest of my life

1: this ballet caused a riot.. I used to think that was ridiculous beyond words, having seen this.. I kinda get it.. 2: having uncle Walt set this music to dinosaurs makes perfect sense...

Midsommar looking fire 🔥🔥 tbh

Amazing.. Had goosebumps every seconds

Great to see this! I was in the Norwalk Y.S. in the 1960s, and later had the great pleasure of working with people form the Joffrey Ballet and Millicent Hodson at the University of Iowa when they were first rehearsing this version. The entire Joffrey RoS was performed at the university the following year.

still fantastic dance & music !!!

Absolute perfection.

18:45 when my kids realize they have more energy than me and decide they’re not gonna listen to me

This is hauntingly captivating

it’s like someone introduced HipHop to a Disco crowd. when you’re used to the elegance of Swan Lake and the Nutcracker…. i can see why Parisians would go crazy about this ballet.

Wow what a presentation.

Mesmerizing performance!!

Wonderful!

19:36 to 19:50 was the most disturbing section to me.

Thank you so much for this post

Am I the only one who had to suffer the indignity of seeing Hans Zimmer hawkng his software right in the middle of an important section followed by a dog food ad! Ruinous of a fine performance.

7:30 when youre alone at a party and see your homies rolling in

La meilleure chorégraphie jamais vue en ce qui me concerne (et j'en ai vu bien d'autres). Merci beaucoup et salutations de Montréal, Qc, Canada

Amazing

18:58 she looked so petrified 😱

Excellent!

So cool to see what the ballet actually is about and how it is actually staged after watching the Fantasia version. 👍

Those eyes at 20:30 will hunt my entire life for eternity... mama mia...

Wow fucking tremendous.thank you ....u put it in perfect perspective for me. I m an amateur rock musician who first heard this piece in 1976 at college .I was in immediate awe of it I remember playing intense beats sinilar on electric bass in jam sessions and compositions .my rite of spring is a caveman cannabilistic pro magnum man. Stravinsky's audience was shocked at this Opera .... some of my colleagues we're shocked at my ideas musically.a sort of Jean Jacques rossaues naked Savage letting his Freudian id out.bravo. sincerely Mr. Frank j. Stola. PS now I'm going to try.....traditional ....swan lake.

Gotta love the Dsus2 chord when she drops, the chord is literally spelled out D E A D

24:25 Pobre muchacha!!! Danza hasta morir.

I don’t know why, but this dance remind me dance from Suspiria 2018. Even meanings of this dance remind me dance Volk

Happy Birthday, Arthur READ

Thank you for uploading this video!

40 dislikes compared to the 1,000 plus people who love, eat, and celebrate life PROVES the existence of unfeeling aliens

Зачем вырезали вступление ко второму действию? Это был самый красивый эпизод😢

19:47 love this bit

Through some reading it was to my understanding that the sacrifice was chosen but after watching this it seems she was in a way shamed (maybe even bullied)into becoming the sacrifice?Maybe I'm interpreting wrong that's just what I got from it.

Nice

Містичний балет!

Is it possible to purchase this version somewhere? I'm yearning for a DVD of this performance... haha I've been looking for this for long now, to no avail...

Where are the first four and a half minutes of the Introduction to Part Two (Largo)? Did Joffrey ever cut these?

Is there no one in this tribe that has mercy and takes pity on the poor Chosen One?

touchstone

"After Altimira all art is decadence" Picasso. But this evens the score a deal.

from PERSIA with Passion

i would love to do a side-by-side comparison of this reconstruction compared to a more recent one conducted by Gergiev that I have on DVD (and is here on YT somewhere...)

This is so strange to me ... I really want to read more and more about this work ..its origins and the story behind it as well as the riot that you are talking about.. any help guys?

My video of this work was removed by copyright claim by WNET. It sucks...

Here is the reconstructed 1913 version:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E9evNJu5kBo.html

I keep thinking about the first Christian monks coming into this village Monk: so what do you do in spring? Villagers: oh we sacrifice a virgin to the gods by forcing her to dance to death Monk : uh yeah NO...

I see fair Mendip maidens dancing in the shadow of Brent Knoll.

This still creeps me out. Is Fantasia's version better?

Joffrey did it first, Joffrey did it best, though I wish they skipped the second Introduction. The tribe must be doing well if they have the time to compose and choreograph something this challenging and sophisticated. 😢

I am wondering what the dancers outside the sacrifice are resembling. Is it Native to the Time of the Rite or Coincidence that the dancers resemble a Southern Plains Indian Dance for Fire?

Does anyone what instrument plays the "DUNDUNDUNDUNDUNDUNDUNDUNDUN" sound at the beginning of augurs of spring?

オーケストラのチューニングが高めだなと想ったら😲チェコか！ この頃のチェコはまだ共産圏ですね。445hzぐらいなのかな。

This ballet is so...disturbing to me and I can't figure out why

24:22

11:30 I dont understand. written: triplt 3:2, performed as 3/4. is the score wrong? or Did Stravinsky write Rallentando, notation deleted in the score 1947?

This is absolutely hilarious at 2x speed.

18:30

usually consist those guys wearing wolf's head cavort around the victim. are those monks or what are they?

Who are the women in the hats supposed to be? And are the girls in the white dresses supposed to be young girls? I've watched this a few times already and I still don't understand a lot of it. (And yes I've listened to the podcasts)

18:34 who else came here from that one AO3 book? 👀

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Sravinsky did not approve of Nijinsky's choreography, on which this version is based. I do not agree that N. has understood the drift of Stravinsky's music, no one in 1913 really did. The conductor admitted that he disliked it and he went on feeling like that indefinitely. (See "Riot at the Rite" on RU-vid). Nijinsky could not find a really meaningful style but attempted to convey the feeling of violence and savagery by making all the dancers hop up and down in circle formation or straight lines, a childish stratagem that turned the stage into an aerobic class or a gym. His keeping everyone bent double and their heads dropped on their shoulders gives the entire show an unintended comic touch. I exempt the final Sacrificial Dance of the chosen maiden which is breathtaking in both the Marinsky and the Joffrey versions on RU-vid. It is more mime than ballet, but it is the only solo dancing in it and Nijinsky found his feet and invented a shattering ending matching the convulsive music. On the subject of the Disney version in Fantasia I always thought that the subject of the prehistoric emergence of life forms and the cataclismic struggle to survive the violent upheavals of evolution was more worthy of the score than the prancing circles and tribal games it ended up with. The supreme accuracy of the animators in linking their images with the appropriate music had a powerful directness that left no uncertainties in the viewers' minds like the ballet tended to . The wonderful mysterious and still introduction to the 2nd part that is missing from the Joffrey ballet was used in Fantasia to depict the Ice Age with the huge Sauruses crawling on the frozen ground and one by one giving up the struggle to collapse in mortal exhaustion and disappear in a mound of falling snow.

Would've been better if cossacks performed it.