The huge uproar elicited by the Rite of Spring on its opening night at the Theatre des Champs-Élysées in Paris in May 1913 and the piece’s revolutionary impact on classical music are themes that have been revisited many a time over the years. The motivation of its creator, Igor Stravinsky, has been subject to somewhat less scrutiny. So, when Akram Khan, the British-born, Bangladeshi-origin dancer, director and choreographer was asked by London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre to come up with a dance to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Rite of Spring last year, it was this challenging theme that he chose.
When iTMOi — In the Mind of Igor, pronounced to rhyme with ‘joy’ — premiered in London last year it received a muted reception from the city’s critics (one described it as a “tiresome and ill-conceived idea”; while The Guardian gave it four stars), but a successful global tour followed, and a year later, back at Sadler’s Wells, where Khan has premiered much of his work, it returned to a packed opening night.
From the start — the soft murmuring of an audience waiting for the curtain to rise is interrupted by a loud and garbled cackling — it is clear this is not a piece intended to be easy on its audience. In the programme accompanying the show, Khan explains that he sought to focus on a number of the themes that influenced Stravinsky, including sacrifice, ritual, faith and doubt. These themes recur through this dance and operatic piece.
It opens with the story of Abraham, the biblical character who was ordered by God — as a test of his faith — to sacrifice his son, danced powerfully by TJ Lowe, who has appeared in several Khan creations, including his contribution to London’s Olympic Ceremony (Khan does not appear in
The 11-person troupe moves between various styles and levels of vigour. Kathak, in which Khan is trained, features in many of the wild and lively dance sequences, and often gives way to flamenco, and moves reminiscent of whirling dervishes. At other times, there is barely a movement on stage. Adding to the disjointed, disruptive feel is the music. The three composers, Nitin Sawhney, Jocelyn Pook and Ben Frost, composed their parts independent of each other, with no knowledge of what the others were working on. Ever so often the chiming of bells interrupts.
In the dreamlike confusion, it’s hard to remember the study that went into the creation. In the programme, dramateur Ruth Little explains the careful research that established what was known about Stravinsky and his state of mind, and the times he lived in, the representations of human sacrifice, and of course the piece itself.
To what extent the dance leaves the audience with a sense of Stravinsky’s mind when he composed the Rite of Spring is debatable. I felt it spoke far more for the creative depths of Khan himself. However, either way, it is a dance that stays with you, with images flashing back to you even days later. iTMOi , which has already visited 17 countries, is set to move on to Moscow, California, Canada and Luxembourg later this year, though there are no plans to visit India as yet.