Joffrey Ballet re-enacts Rite of Spring ballet

Audiences will travel back to 1913 this weekend and experience Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” as if they were there when it first opened — minus the violent riots.

As a part of Carolina Performing Arts’ “Rite of Spring at 100,” the Joffrey Ballet dance company of Chicago will perform its reconstruction of Nijinsky’s original ballet choreography at Memorial Hall this weekend.

In addition to Nijinsky’s choreography, the group will open with dances from its repertoire, including a new work by Stanton Welch and “After the Rain” by Christopher Wheeldon at its Saturday show.

For Sunday’s performance, the company will put on “Age of Innocence” by Edwaard Liang and “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” by William Forsythe.

Dance historian and choreographer Millicent Hodson reconstructed Nijinsky’s choreography, and her husband, art historian and set designer Kenneth Archer, reconstructed the original set designs for the ballet company.

The two historians relied on the original musical scores and choreographer’s notes to piece the ballet back together, said Elizabeth Joyner, the project coordinator at Carolina Performing Arts.

Both Hodson and Archer will talk about the reconstruction process at a lecture before each show. Friday’s lecture will focus solely on the choreography, and Saturday’s lecture will focus on the set design.

Joyner said the lectures fit in well with Carolina Performing Arts’ goal to not only expose the audiences to various art performances, but also teach them the meaning behind the art.

“It’s not just about putting a performance on stage and selling tickets,” Joyner said.

“It’s also about understanding these groups on a much deeper level, and Millicent and Kenneth fit this perfectly.”

Julie Walters, an assistant dance professor at Duke University, performed in Joffrey Ballet’s first re-creation of the ballet in 1987.

She said seeing the live “Rite of Spring” performance is much more compelling than seeing it on film.

“The dynamic of his movement and the power behind imagery and the story Nijinsky was telling was extremely moving for audience members,” she said.

Walters said the dance — not so much the musical score — played the biggest part in what made “The Rite of Spring” historic.

“The dance is what created a lot of the conditions for the scandal, as well as music, but the dance is what moved the audience,” she said.

“It’s what they saw (that) struck a chord and started a lot of the rioting and commotion in the audience.”

Joe Florence, marketing manager for Carolina Performing Arts, said Joffrey’s performance contextualizes the entire series.

“This is the springboard from which our whole season emerged,” Florence said.

“If you see it in as close to the original form as you ever will, it helps contextualize past performances, especially more ambitious ones that are inspired by the ‘Rite of Spring.’”

Contact the desk editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.