Riot at the Rite

There have been many unrest at the theater, but probably no one had the cultural value of those unleashed during the first of the Stravinsky spring festival, with the choreography of Nijinsky and the Russian ballets of Diaghilev, on May 29, 1913 at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris.
Everything was new. The costumes. So far from those of the classic ballet, they were judged outrageous. The choreography, for those times they seemed unnatural and disordered because they were asymmetrical and was one of the first times that happened. And finally music, often harsh, dissonant and in any case difficult to follow. All this caused a pandemonium such that, at certain moments, the musicians almost not felt the ’ one other.
I often wanted to attend the first one, to a time when music and dance, together, have turned the page and now, looking for the names of composers on YouTube, I find these 4 movies that, seen in series, tell precisely that event.
Obviously it is not an original film. It is a reconstructed dramatization and broadcast by the BBC with the title of “ Riot at the Rite ”. Knowing the BBC, the reconstruction should be rather accurate. The corps de ballet is the Finnish National Ballet (first dancer Zinaida Yanowsky). The original choreography were recreated by Millicent Hodson. The costumes are reproduced carefully based on drawings of the era that I have seen too and from what I remember, I confirm.
Even the people who at the beginning get air furiously are consistent with the fact that in Paris, in those days, there was more than 30°.
Obviously the shouts of the audience and the dialogues are in English and we do not know how precise they are, however they are likely (garbage! Return to Russia!). At a certain point one says “ here, so the primitives danced! ”. And another replies “ And how do you know!? ”
But in the end many people applaud. As an artist, it takes great strength to survive such an experience.
The program was broadcast in March. I hope the BBC will make a DVD. YouTube videos, in fact, are of low quality.

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