The Rite Thing | HARING

Choreography based on original choreographic sequences from Vaslav Nijinsky reconstructed by Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer.

“The most profound happiness of a human being comes from being sacrificed.” E.Jünger

For almost a century there is a ritual that has been performed on all international dance stages, inevitably ending up in death, but, never- theless, it is a part every soloist is eager to dance. The stakes are high, because The Chosen One is sacrificed, or is sacrificing him- or herself, in order to bring on a fertile spring.  In The Rite Thing this ritual is disenchanted in a Warholesque fashion by mimetically repeating the casting of the spell in various ways.
Based on a reproduction of original choreographic material of Le Sacre du Printemps and the personal story of Nijinsky, Liquid Loft, together with dancers of Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, stage impressive Ready Mades, by rediscovering them as containers of bygone choreographic intentions in a changed context, weaving them into contemporary structures.
Dance as an imitation of change; the sacrifice as an instrument of equalization through retaliation against the innocent. These are the archaic means of mimetic practice in this performance.

"The Rite Thing" | HARING
Choreography: Chris Haring
Choreographic Assistant: Stephanie Cumming
Sound, Composition: Andreas Berger (Glim)
Light, Set Design: Thomas Jelinek
Costumes: Liquid Loft, Dancers & Jean-Michel Lainé
Production Management: Marlies Pucher 
Text, Theory: Nicole Haitzinger, Fritz Ostermayer
Translations: Martina Hochmuth, Oliver Stummer
Video: Ella Esque, Michael Loizenbauer
A co-production of Les Ballets de Montecarlo, ImPulsTanz Vienna International Festival and Liquid Loft
Duration: 60 min

Creation for Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Premiere on July 13th 2010, Salle Garnier Opéra de Monte-Carlo