New performance illuminates treasured composition next summer
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Ib Andersen, Ballet Arizona’s artistic director, continue to make his mark this 2022-23 season with his fourth world premiere production set for debut at the Desert Botanical Garden.
“The Rite of Spring” will be performed May 16 to June 3, 2023, at Ballet Arizona’s annual An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden.
Mr. Andersen’s — “The Rite of Spring” — seeks to create a new environment through the orchestral work, initially composed by Stravinsky in 1911 and 1912. Mr. Andersen has modernized the composition with transformational choreography that captures the energetic and emotional feel of the music through ballet, according to representatives of Ballet Arizona.
“Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring is one of the most challenging scores composed for ballet,” Mr. Andersen said in a prepared statement. “It’s a score I have lived with for almost 40 years, always thinking about how to deal with the extraordinary energy the music creates. I have decided now is the time to face and embrace this masterpiece for Desert Botanical Garden with new added visual elements.”
Each year, Mr. Andersen says he seeks to provide an artistic performance that is uniquely Arizonan at An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden. After debuting “Round, Eroica, Topia,” and “The Four Seasons at the Garden,” Mr. Andersen is excited for the talent of contemporary ballet performances in the desert we call our home.
An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden opening night sponsors are F. Francis and Dionne Najafi of the Pivotal Foundation. The Ballet Arizona performance series at Desert Botanical Garden is made possible by support from the Mayo Sports Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Clinic.
All performances begin at 8 p.m. Prices start at $60. Arrive early and watch the professional company take ballet class on stage. A gourmet picnic menu is available for purchase including beer, wine, and non-alcoholic refreshments.
