Iconic dancer Yang Liping brings grand production to Edinburgh
Yang said she adapted the original production with an oriental twist to provide Western audiences with a different prospective. "Thematically, the work was in a linear structure, depicting the journey of a woman from birth to death, and then from being selected to being sacrificed, a typical Western style of logic and way of appreciating aesthetics.
"In our version, I have rearranged the structure into a more circular way, making it from birth to death to reincarnation, which is a very oriental way of thinking," she explained.
When it comes to the idea of choreography, Yang conceded that she strives to break some fixed boundaries, such as those between traditional and contemporary, the oriental and occidental.
"These concepts exist in history, as well as in the theory of the academic researcher, but for me, as a modern choreographer, I do not think I should be bound by these concepts in the process of creation," she explained.
The production brings together an international and creative team, including 15 dancers and Oscar-winning designer Tim Yip, who is best known for his work on 2000 martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
The idea of re-making The Rite of Spring was initially proposed by the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London and by the Shanghai International Arts Festival, both of which were convinced that given Yang's sufficient accumulation of knowledge and expertise, she could offer a unique representation of this great piece of music. The production was first staged at the Sadler's Wells Theatre from May 9 to 11, 2019.
Joanna Baker, managing director of the Edinburgh International Festival, said: "We are thrilled to bring this remarkable reworking of The Rite of Spring to Edinburgh, marking the International Festival debut of Yang Liping.
"Yang is a superstar choreographer in China－she embodies a unique fusion of ancient and modern Chinese traditions, and it's exciting to showcase her work in Edinburgh where it can be enjoyed by dance fans from all over the world," she added.
