On Friday, May 17 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at 601 Preston Street, join Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch, and Shen Wei Dance Arts Company Manager Stephen Xue for a free group discussion on the 100th year anniversary of The Rite of Spring as they share insights into the Houston Ballet’s and Shen Wei Dance Arts’ productions of Vaslav Nijinsky’s seminal work.
Ballet: The Rite of Spring; Choreographer: Stanton Welch; Dancers: Artists of Houston Ballet; Photo: Amitava Sarkar
In March 2013, Mr. Welch choreographed a highly lauded new production of The Rite of Spring featuring Houston Ballet’s entire company. On Saturday, May 18 at 8:00 pm at Wortham Theater Center, Society for the Performing Arts will present New York-based Shen Wei Dance Arts, making its Houston debut performing two of its most celebrated works: The Rite of Spring (2003), coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Stravinsky’s famed musical composition; and Folding (2000), a highly stylized piece performed to the melodies of Tavener and Tibetan Buddhist chants.
Shen Wei Dance Arts; Photo by Christy Pessagno
Shen Wei was the mastermind choreographer behind the stunning 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Beijing – featuring 16,000 performers right in the heart of The Bird’s Nest. The company itself is devoted to the creation of innovative dance forms for the 21st century. A seamless fusion of Chinese opera, painting, dance and music with Western performance arts, Shen Wei’s works are “visual feasts” (The New York Sun) that transfix audiences.
For more information on the May 18 performance by Shen Wei Dance Arts and to purchase tickets:
http://www.spahouston.org/show?ShowId=59
