Marie Chouinard

With Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Magnificat” – a musical celebration of the Virgin Mary and her promise of transcendence – and Igor Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps” as a powerful musical work, the great Canadian choreographer Marie Chouinard develops new choreographic worlds in her own unmistakable way, presented by the HELLERAU in a double-bill.

Bach’s “Magnificat” for choir, five vocal soloists and orchestra – sung in Latin – is a hymn of praise brimming with divine energy. Chouinard translates this sacredness into a choreography that combines large-scale group formations with delicate, intimate moments in duets, trios and solos. The intense lighting design, also created by the choreographer, enhances the sacred atmosphere and makes the dancers and the space shine.

Whilst the piece “Magnificat” showcases Chouinard’s current work, “Le Sacre du Printemps” bears witness to the beginnings of her choreographic career. Igor Stravinsky’s work explores a new world and marks dance’s entry into the modern era. From this avant-garde work, Chouinard created an organic, powerful and vibrant choreography in 1993 which, unlike many other interpretations, is based on various solos. Through a series of emotional, intimate portraits, the magnificent mystery of this “Rite of Spring” gradually unfolds, centring on the theme of the blossoming of life itself.