Seeta Patel
The Rite of Spring
Presentation
Igor Stravinsky’s avant-garde score stunned Paris audiences when it debuted in 1913 and has been hugely influential ever since. Award winning choreographer, Seeta Patel reimagines this iconic ballet in the powerful classical Indian dance style Bharatanatyam, bridging two very technical, powerful, and evocative art forms (Western classical music and Indian classical dance).
Discover a transformative re-telling of this pagan folk story through intricate rhythmic footwork, expressive prowess, geometric and dynamic movements. Looking beyond notions of the exotic and orientalist perceptions of Eastern classical arts, and departing from gimmickry cultural baggage, the production is a celebration of life at its best.
Showcasing some of the finest Indian classical dance talent from across the globe, it’s one of the most exciting flirtations between East and West in current times.
Born in London, Seeta has worked with a range of Bharatanatyam and contemporary dance professionals and toured with many companies including DV8 Physical Theatre, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company & Gandini Juggling. She has presented sold out work at the Southbank Centre, Royal Opera House: ROH2 and Sadler’s Wells.
In tandem with her choreographic and performing work she has worked in film, TV and theatre, including producing a multi award-winning short dance film, The Art of Defining Me; being a judge, mentor and advisor for the inaugural BBC Young Dancer Competition, and choreographing a play at the Theatre Royal Stratford East – The House of In Between. Her work, Not Today’s Yesterday, is a one-woman show taking a dramatic look at the whitewashing of history. The show won Best Dance and the Peace Foundation Award at the Adelaide Fringe. Most recently Seeta created a Bharatanatyam version of the iconic ballet, The Rite of Spring, touring in 2019 and to be expanded in 2023 for Sadler’s Wells and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Choreographer and Artistic Director – Seeta Patel
Dancers – Sundaresan Ramesh, Aishani Ghosh, Indu Panday, Moritz Zavan, Sarah Gasser and Sooraj Subramaniam
Lighting Designer – Warren Letton
Costume Designer – Anshu Arora and Jason Cheryian (smallshop), Bangalore
Producer – Sarah Shead, Spin Arts
Carnatic Vocalist: Roopa Mahadevan
The Horizon team would like to thank DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome for hosting Seeta and her team and providing them with studio space to rehearse and film The Rite of Spring presentation.
Rite of Spring by Seeta Patel (Trailer)
