Spring’s imminent onset
feels like the right time for new rites.
Fittingly, Cincinnati Ballet presents
a diverse triad of works for its Rite of
Spring program at the Aronoff Center this weekend. Observe Resident
Choreographer Adam Hougland’s Rite of
Spring, set to the dynamic dissonance of the Stravinsky score, performed
live by Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. It’s no ordinary spring ritual. This
“raw, grungy” piece pits “individual against the group; it’s kind of timeless
and universal,” says Hougland. “That’s always what I’m looking for: something
that everyone can relate to, those universal truths.” The contemporary work
predates his Firebird seen last
season and represents another visually arresting collaboration with his
longtime set and costume design collaborator Marion Williams. The program will
also bring forth the neoclassical Vivace,
choreographed by Val Caniparoli and set to Schubert, as well as the world
premier of Emmy-nominated choreographer Stacey Tookey’s Oneself Perceived. $30-$80. 513-621-5282
or www.cballet.org. Aronoff
Center, 650 Walnut St., downtown. Through Saturday, March 17. 8 p.m., plus a 2 p.m.
performance on Saturday.
