Ballet West presents The Rite of Spring, showcasing the diverse musical genius of Igor Stravinsky through three distinct ballet masterpieces. Experience the evocative music performed live by the Ballet West Orchestra and the company’s artistic versatility in dance April 4 – 12 at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre.
“Each one of these pieces of music sounds completely different from the other. Together, the three works on the program showcase what a varied and brilliant composer he was – in particular for ballet and dance,” says Artistic Director Adam Sklute. “From the elegant purity of Apollo to the spiritual journey of Symphony of Psalms to the primal exploration of life, death, and rebirth in The Rite of Spring, audiences will experience an extraordinary range of evocative music through captivating dance narratives.”
The program opens with the Utah premiere of Jiří Kylián’s Symphony of Psalms. Accompanied by a full chorus and orchestra, this spiritual journey showcases the choreographer’s tradition of creating mysterious, emotionally resonant works that explore human relationships without explicit narrative. Few companies are given permission to do Kylián’s work, and this ballet marks the sixth work by this living Czech master-choreographer.
George Balanchine’s Apollo, a piece first performed by Ballet West in 2019, is a neoclassical masterwork, originally commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballet Russes. The production depicts the birth of the young god Apollo and his interactions with three muses who present him with the gifts of mime, poetry, and dance. Set to Stravinsky’s ‘Baroque phase’ composition, the ballet Apollo is considered Balanchine’s first major masterpiece, and it remains as innovative today as it was when it premiered in 1929.
The program culminates with the revival of Nicolo Fonte’s reimagined The Rite of Spring, commissioned and created on Ballet West in 2014. Unlike the 1913 original that famously provoked riots with its primal score and revolutionary choreography, Fonte’s interpretation offers a contemporary vision set in an ambiguous landscape reminiscent of Stonehenge. Instead of focusing on a single sacrificial victim, Fonte presents continuous sacrifices throughout the ballet until the finale, in water pouring from above to symbolize rebirth and new life.
Tickets for The Rite of Spring are now available at balletwest.org or by calling 801-869-6900.
ABOUT BALLET WEST
BALLET WEST, one of America’s leading ballet companies, under the artistic direction of Adam Sklute, has earned an international reputation for artistic innovation and excellence since its founding in 1963. For over 60 years, the Salt Lake City-based Company has entertained and excited audiences in Utah and worldwide by presenting great classical ballets, historical masterpieces, including America’s First Nutcracker, and new cutting-edge creations with only the highest artistic and professional standards. The Company continues to build future ballet artists and audiences by providing classical ballet training through the Frederick Q. Lawson Ballet West Academy and its four campuses and more than 1,000 students. Ballet West also operates the largest outreach and education programs in the country which reaches over 148,000 children and adults throughout Utah and the Intermountain Region every year. The 24/25 Season is generously sponsored by Salt Lake Zoo, Arts & Parks, George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, and Intermountain Health.
