The Rite Stuff - Lesson 2 - The Story of the Rite

Introduction [10 min]

Now often performed as a stand-alone piece of orchestral music, The Rite of Spring was written by Igor Stravinsky as a ballet. It was first performed by the Ballets Russes in Paris under the direction of Sergei Diaghilev with choreography by the famous Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. Discuss the following topics as a group:

• What is a ballet?
• What is a “Rite”?
• The piece was originally known as The Consecration of Spring. What does “Consecration” mean?
• What does “Spring” usually remind you of? How might the concept of “Spring” relate to the story of The Rite of Spring?
• The subtitle of The Rite of Spring is “Pictures of Pagan Russia in Two Parts.” What does “Pagan” mean?

Using the above questions as a framework, describe the basic plot premise of The Rite of Spring, in which pagan tribes celebrate the renewal of the earth in a ceremony in which a young maiden is chosen as a sacrifice to please the god of spring.


Activity [30 min]

Watch excerpts of the original ballet choreography, which was revived by the Joffrey Ballet in the 1980s. Pay special attention to the relationships between the music, the choreography, the costumes, and the scenery. At the end, share your thoughts about the ballet with the group. Did the ballet effectively tell a compelling story without the use of words?

Part 1: The Adoration of the Earth

• Introduction [0:00] - Instrumental
• The Augurs of Spring [3:00] - Spring is celebrated as an old woman tells the future
• Ritual of Abduction [6:08] - Tribal dance
• Spring Rounds [7:30] - Tribal dance
• Ritual of the Rival Tribes [11:14] - Tribal dance
• Procession of the Sage [13:03] - The old Sage enters and blesses the earth
• Dance of the Earth [14:08] - The tribes dance to celebrate the earth

Part 2: The Sacrifice

• Introduction [15:22] - Instrumental
• Mystic Circles of the Young Girls [15:50] - The girls dance in circles to select the Chosen One
• Glorification of the Chosen One [18:30] - The girls dance around the Chosen One
• Evocation of the Ancestors [20:30] - The ancestors are summoned by the girls
• Ritual Action of the Ancestors [21:05] - The ancestors dance around the Chosen One
• Sacrificial Dance [24:24] - The Chosen One springs to life and dances herself to death

Results

Before we watched the video of the performance, we had a lively discussion about ballets, rites, and pagan ceremonies.

When asked what a ballet was, Luana said, "it's dancing like this," as she put her hands in a circle above her head. Lucas added that the dancers wear tutus. We decided that a ballet was a dance that told a story without any words like a play or musical might have. I asked them to remember their preconceptions about ballets and see whether The Rite of Spring was what they expected.

We also talked about the plot of the ballet and how some "pagan" religions believed in offering sacrifices to their god(s) at different times of year to ensure a fruitful season. So as not to disturb the younger kids too much, I did soften the concept of the human sacrifice. Basically, we talked about how the Chosen One, once selected, would dance in a frenzy until she collapsed and died of exhaustion. Some of them were concerned that this might be a true story, and we reassured them that it was a fictional story and a piece of art to enjoy.

In the end, the kids really loved watching the ballet. Afterwards they described the story-line as "creepy-cool." One of them came to me later, clearly having thought about the ballet some more afterwards, and said, "you know, that was really disturbing." Luana was super-psyched about the whole thing and is actually watching the ballet again as I write this.

The kids were particularly taken by the Sacrificial Dance of the Chosen One in the last few minutes of the ballet. After the video finished, they were inspired to jump around the kitchen re-enacting the many leaps of the Chosen One (below right). They also joined hands and stood up on their tippy-toes in a recreation of the groups of dancers in the Spring Rounds (below left).

The Rite has even had an impact on their play. This afternoon I walked over to their setup to find the Disney princesses re-enacting the selection of the Chosen One. I never thought I would be so proud to overhear one of my children say (and with such glee), "they're deciding which one of them is going to die!"