The last pre-pandemic rehearsal in March 2020 for a production of Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring became a streaming video hit titled Dancing at Dusk, starring dancers from 14 African countries. This recast Rite finally premiered live last fall in four European cities, alongside common ground[s], a duet by and for Germaine Acogny and celebrated Bausch dancer Malou Airaudo.

Known as the “mother of contemporary African dance,” Senegalese-French dancer and choreographer Germaine Acogny first saw Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring performed by dancers of the Paris Opéra Ballet. Presented with the tale of human sacrifice and gender relationships, she couldn’t help but draw parallels between the ritualistic choreography and traditions from her African […]