Fall ballet brings out Stravinsky's morbidity

World renowned artist John Clifford has choreographed movement to music ranging from classical Stravinsky to heavy metal Van Halen. \nThis weekend Clifford brings his talents to the IU Ballet Theater for a retelling of Stravinsky's infamous and morbid one-act "The Rite of Spring." The show is the headliner for the theatre's "Colours of Dance" program beginning at 8 p.m. this Friday and Saturday at the MAC. \nClifford's credits include choreographing and dancing with world-accomplished ballet dancer and choreographer George Balanchine. \n"The Rite of Spring" is notorious for the riots and fighting it produced with its 1913 debut in Paris, which Clifford cited as "the biggest scandal in music history." \n"It was like a rock concert," Clifford said.\nHe said the chaotic choreography by original choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky, irregular music by Stravinsky, and the heretical plot shocked the audience. The plot features the pagan sacrifice of a beautiful virgin for spring harvest, which Clifford said stirred the original crowd into a violent frenzy. The two pianos also provided a "pounding and percussive" sound that irritated the Parisian audience. \nClifford said the modern interpretation is even more violent and definitely more sexual in nature than the original. In this weekend's dance, the fictitious choreographer of his rehearsal of "The Rite of Spring" is driven mad. The dancers will be in revealing practice attire. \nUnlike the original performance, the stage will be completely bare, but the non-dancing visuals will be dominated by intense lighting. This dance definitely will not be classical ballet, as Clifford adds some modern and jazz dance to the already abnormal morbid and insane nature of the story.\n"Colours of Dance," will also feature dances choreographed by IU Professors of music Virginia Cesbron, Jacques Cesbron, and Violet Verdy set to music by Fanz Liszt and Peter I. Tchaikovsky.\nOne of the featured dances during the performance is the "Pas De Deux."\nBalanchine choreographed the original version of Tchaikovsky's "Pas De Deux," in the New York Ballet in the 1960s. Verdy danced the female role back then, and is now directing the production of "Colours of Dance." The music was originally written for Act III of "Swan Lake," but did not make the final cut for the score. The work was lost in the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and was later found in The Bolshoi Theatre archives in 1953, and subsequently danced by Verdy and partner Conrad Ludlow. \nThis short 8-minute dance is very classical and very technical. Like the original, a violin and orchestra will accompany a single man and woman, including solos by each dancer and two sections where they dance together. It will include both quick allegro and slow adagio elements. \nProfessor and chair of IU's dance department Virginia Cesbron will choreograph the allegro section from Tchaikovsky's "Quartet in D Major." Cesbron said the piece will be speedy, flowing, romantic and abstract. \nProfessor Cesbron Jacques, who also has done a version of "Rite of Spring," will choreograph the final dance for the evenings. It is "Sonata in B Minor" by Franz Liszt, performed on the piano by doctoral student Cory Smythe. Not unlike the "metallic ballet" that encompasses "Rite of Spring," this piece will be very dark, especially lyrical, tormentuos, emotional, moody and "evil", Jacques said. It will consist of one female main character along with four other women and several men.