Word from the choreographer

Invited in Belgium as part of the festival Chacun son Sacre, José Navas celebrated the centenary of The Rite of Spring by taking up the challenge of tackling this legendary music as a solo, accompanied by nearly a hundred musicians of the Brussels Philharmonic. Developing an organic connection with Stravinsky’s music, he offered his vision of the figure of the Chosen One, who dances to death. From the iconic figure he made garbed in a long black dress to the fragility of his naked body at the end, he danced to the point of physical and mental exhaustion, in symbiosis with the orchestra and its maestro, Michel Tabachnik.

Navas channels the spirit of Nijinsky’s original choreography in an abstract, minimalist solo, letting Stravinsky’s pulsating score serve as his rite’s only set. José Navas realizes a long-time dream in a great moment of music and dance.