Dance

common ground[s]

by Germaine Acogny & Malou Airaudo

The Rite of Spring

by Pina Bausch

A Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables, & Sadler’s Wells production

Bay Area Premiere

In this double-bill production, Pina Bausch’s iconic The Rite of Spring, a “ferocious roar of a piece” (The Guardian), is performed by an ensemble of more than 30 dancers from 14 African countries and assembled through a collaboration with the Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables, and Sadler’s Wells. Stravinsky’s searing, ominous score takes on new meaning through visceral choreography as a “chosen one” is sacrificed.

The occasion is momentous—it is only in recent years that Bausch’s pioneering work has been taught to new dancers outside of her company—and a thrilling opportunity to see her vision created anew on the Zellerbach Hall stage.

The companion piece common ground[s] is a new duet co-created and danced by two septuagenarians—Germaine Acogny, known as the “mother of African contemporary dance,” and Malou Airaudo, a longtime dancer with the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

Join us for a post-performance moderated discussion on Fri, Feb 16, and post-performance community conversations on Sat & Sun, Feb 17 & 18.

This event is part of Cal Performances’ Illuminations: “Individual & Community” programming for the 2023–24 season.

Co-produced with Théâtre de la Ville, Paris; Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg; Holland Festival, Amsterdam; Festspielhaus, St. Pölten; Ludwigsburg Festival; Teatros del Canal de la Comunidad de Madrid; Adelaide Festival; and Spoleto Festival dei 2Mondi

The project is funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the International Co-production Fund of the Goethe-Institut, and kindly supported by the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. 

Patron Sponsor: Helen Berggruen for Five Arts Foundation (2/16); Rockridge Market Hall (2/17)

Feb 16–18, 2024
Add to Calendar 02/16/2024 08:00 pm 02/16/2024 09:30 pm America/Los_Angeles common ground[s]; The Rite of Spring https://calperformances.org/events/2023-24/dance/common-grounds-the-rite-of-spring/ Zellerbach Hall

Feb 16, 2024, 8pm
Feb 17, 2024, 8pm
Feb 18, 2024, 3pm

Tickets start at $38

Beyond the Stage

WATCH: Jeremy Geffen, john a. powell, and Illuminations artists discuss how concepts of individual and community impact society, their work, and their creative practice in this 2023–24 Season Feature.
WATCH: Executive and Artistic Director Jeremy Geffen and renowned dance company directors guide us through an exhilarating season of dance in this 2023–24 Season Feature.

READ: A fascinating deep dive into some of the most anticipated new works on the season in this 2023–24 Season Feature.

READ: Summer Cinema: Get Ready for Our 23–24 Season with These Exciting Films! Choose from 30 movies and documentaries to enrich your experience of our upcoming performances.

Video

Feb 16–18, 2024
Add to Calendar 02/16/2024 08:00 pm 02/16/2024 09:30 pm America/Los_Angeles common ground[s]; The Rite of Spring https://calperformances.org/events/2023-24/dance/common-grounds-the-rite-of-spring/ Zellerbach Hall

Feb 16, 2024, 8pm
Feb 17, 2024, 8pm
Feb 18, 2024, 3pm

Tickets start at $38
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