Dance Consortium Dada Masilo’s The Sacrifice
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In a London premiere, South African choreographer Dada Masilo embraces the traditional dance of Botswana in a work inspired by The Rite of Spring.
South Africa’s award-winning Dada Masilo wowed critics and audiences with her stunning re-imagining of Giselle in 2019. Now back by popular demand, Masilo and her company of incredible dancers return with the London premiere of The Sacrifice.
Featuring live music on stage, The Sacrifice is inspired by The Rite of Spring. Celebrating the advent of Spring, a young girl is chosen as a sacrifice and dances herself to death as part of an ancient ritual.
This combines the European heritage of this monumental work with the uniquely rhythmic and expressive movements of Tswana, the traditional dance of Botswana. Rooted in story-telling and healing ritual, Masilo and her dancers deliver an exhilarating performance with an original, contemporary score.
Masilo has always been fascinated by different dance forms, fusing ballet with modern and traditional dance to present classic stories with a new twist.
Read ‘It’s a grief and a healing’: why dance-makers love The Rite of Spring.
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Header image © Tristram Kenton
★★★★ THE TIMES on Giselle
★★★★★ NORTH WEST END on Giselle
Since its controversial premiere at the Theatre de Champs Elysees in Paris in 1913 the Stravinsky score has become a rite of passage for most choreographers. We recently saw Pina Bausch’s interpretation performed by dancers from across the African continent and Mats Ek and Israel Galván will accept the challenge this autumn. In 2023 we look forward to a Bharatnatyam infused version by Seeta Patel and Dada Masilo’s interpretation not using the Stravinsky score but inspired by the traditional dance and music of Botswana…Alistair Spalding CBE
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Dancing at Dusk
In celebration of The Rite of Spring by Dada Masilo coming to Sadler’s Wells, you can also watch this iconic piece performed by 36 African dancers in our acclaimed film, Dancing at Dusk. Returning to our Digital Stage from 17 Feb – 20 Mar.
Performances
Age 16 - 30?
See the best dance in the world for £10 with Barclays Dance Pass at Sadler’s Wells.