common ground[s] • The Rite of Spring
A Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables, and Sadler’s Wells production
Friday, and Saturday, February 16–17, 2024, 8pm
Sunday, February 18, 2024, 3pm
Zellerbach Hall
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 Coproduction Fund of the Goethe-Institut, and kindly supported by the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.
These performances are made possible, in part, by Helen Berggruen for Five Arts Foundation (February 16) and Rockridge Market Hall (February 17).
Cal Performances is committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for all—one that honors our venues as places of respite, openness, and respect. Please see the Community Agreements section on our Policies page for more information.
This performance will last approximately 95 minutes, including intermission.
From the Executive and Artistic Director
I’m so pleased to welcome you back to campus as we move into the second half of our extraordinary 2023–24 season. There are far too many highlights this month for me to mention each and every one, but I can’t help but single out a few standout events. Of course, any visit by the legendary soprano Renée Fleming is worthy of attention, and this month’s Zellerbach Hall appearance is no exception, coming, as it does, hot on the heels of her receiving the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime artistic achievement in December. For dance, you won’t want to miss a dazzling double-bill pairing the late Pina Bausch’s iconic The Rite of Spring with common ground[s], a new duet co-created and performed by septuagenarians Germaine Acogny, known as the “mother of African contemporary dance,” and Malou Airaudo, a longtime dancer with the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. Featuring more than 30 dancers from 14 African countries assembled through a collaboration with Germany’s Pina Bausch Foundation, Senegal’s École des Sables, and the UK’s Sadler’s Wells theater, this program is the type of large-scale and ambitious artistic collaboration that has long defined Cal Performances. And finally, we’re tremendously excited about Taylor Mac & Matt Ray’s upcoming Bark of Millions (see page 6 for more details), an epic “parade trance extravaganza” that celebrates queerness in all its facets and the power of individuality and human connection to push boundaries and bring bold and fresh perspectives to our stage.
As spring approaches, we will continue to invest in ongoing relationships with established and acclaimed artistic partners, with upcoming projects including the renewal of a multi-season residency by The Joffrey Ballet, which this year will present its first full-length narrative ballet, Anna Karenina, at Zellerbach Hall. And I’m especially pleased that in March, the renowned pianist Mitsuko Uchida will join us as Artist in Residence for two special concerts as well as additional opportunities for the campus and wider Bay Area community to engage with her singular artistry.
An ongoing focus of the season is our multi-dimensional Illuminations programming, which once again connects the work of world-class artists to the intellectual life and scholarship at UC Berkeley via performances and public programs investigating a pressing theme—this season, “Individual & Community.” Concepts of “individual” and “community” have been at the forefront of public discourse in recent years, with new questions emerging as to how we can best nurture a sense of community and how the groups we associate with impact our own sense of self. Given our fast-evolving social landscape, how can we retain and celebrate the traits that make each of us unique, while still thriving in a world that demands cooperation and collaboration? With the performing arts serving as our guide and compass, we will explore the tensions that come into play when balancing the interests of the individual with those of the group.
Finally, I want to mention a major new venture coming up next season, the Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency, when Cal Performances and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County will bring the world renowned Vienna Philharmonic and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin to California during spring 2025. Made possible by philanthropists Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom, three performances at Zellerbach Hall (March 5–7) will be followed by two in Orange County (March 9 and 11) at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Programs will feature works by Mozart, Schubert, Dvořák, Mahler, and Richard Strauss, with acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman set to join the orchestra for a Beethoven concerto appearance. Exact programming will be announced shortly, and on-sale dates will be provided in April, when Cal Performances’ 2024–25 season is announced to the general public.
Again, welcome to Cal Performances! We’re delighted to join together, celebrating the very best in live music, dance, and theater.
Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances
I’m so pleased to welcome you back to campus as we move into the second half of our extraordinary 2023–24 season. There are far too many highlights this month for me to mention each and every one, but I can’t help but single out a few standout events. Of course, any visit by the legendary soprano Renée Fleming is worthy of attention, and this month’s Zellerbach Hall appearance is no exception, coming, as it does, hot on the heels of her receiving the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime artistic achievement in December. For dance, you won’t want to miss a dazzling double-bill pairing the late Pina Bausch’s iconic The Rite of Spring with common ground[s], a new duet co-created and performed by septuagenarians Germaine Acogny, known as the “mother of African contemporary dance,” and Malou Airaudo, a longtime dancer with the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. Featuring more than 30 dancers from 14 African countries assembled through a collaboration with Germany’s Pina Bausch Foundation, Senegal’s École des Sables, and the UK’s Sadler’s Wells theater, this program is the type of large-scale and ambitious artistic collaboration that has long defined Cal Performances. And finally, we’re tremendously excited about Taylor Mac & Matt Ray’s upcoming Bark of Millions (see page 6 for more details), an epic “parade trance extravaganza” that celebrates queerness in all its facets and the power of individuality and human connection to push boundaries and bring bold and fresh perspectives to our stage.
As spring approaches, we will continue to invest in ongoing relationships with established and acclaimed artistic partners, with upcoming projects including the renewal of a multi-season residency by The Joffrey Ballet, which this year will present its first full-length narrative ballet, Anna Karenina, at Zellerbach Hall. And I’m especially pleased that in March, the renowned pianist Mitsuko Uchida will join us as Artist in Residence for two special concerts as well as additional opportunities for the campus and wider Bay Area community to engage with her singular artistry.
An ongoing focus of the season is our multi-dimensional Illuminations programming, which once again connects the work of world-class artists to the intellectual life and scholarship at UC Berkeley via performances and public programs investigating a pressing theme—this season, “Individual & Community.” Concepts of “individual” and “community” have been at the forefront of public discourse in recent years, with new questions emerging as to how we can best nurture a sense of community and how the groups we associate with impact our own sense of self. Given our fast-evolving social landscape, how can we retain and celebrate the traits that make each of us unique, while still thriving in a world that demands cooperation and collaboration? With the performing arts serving as our guide and compass, we will explore the tensions that come into play when balancing the interests of the individual with those of the group.
Finally, I want to mention a major new venture coming up next season, the Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency, when Cal Performances and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County will bring the world renowned Vienna Philharmonic and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin to California during spring 2025. Made possible by philanthropists Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom, three performances at Zellerbach Hall (March 5–7) will be followed by two in Orange County (March 9 and 11) at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Programs will feature works by Mozart, Schubert, Dvořák, Mahler, and Richard Strauss, with acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman set to join the orchestra for a Beethoven concerto appearance. Exact programming will be announced shortly, and on-sale dates will be provided in April, when Cal Performances’ 2024–25 season is announced to the general public.
Again, welcome to Cal Performances! We’re delighted to join together, celebrating the very best in live music, dance, and theater.
Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances
