William Moore’s World Premiere of The Rite of Spring
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will present The Rite of Spring as part of its Spring Mix: 5 for 55 mixed repertory performance on April 4-6 at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. The Rite of Spring made an explosive entrance into the ballet world when it originated in 1913. It started a new era in music and dance with many choreographers since its first, Vaslav Nijinsky, inspired by composer Igor Stravinsky’s dynamic score. William Moore, PBT’s choreographer-in-residence for the 2024-25 season, will present the world premiere of his version of The Rite of Spring at a very appropriate time, as the music celebrates the advent of spring, its creative power and the forces of nature that humans cannot escape. With the long winter Pittsburgh is currently experiencing, watching a piece about the inevitability of spring will be a welcome experience!
William Moore has choreographed throughout his professional ballet dance career of over 14 years, 11 of them spent here at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. In rehearsals, he puts himself into the precarious positions he asks of his dancers when partnering or being partnered. The mood in the studio is light, but when it is time to run the piece, all focus is centered on the task at hand. The Rite of Spring’s usual primal and instinctual themes are present, along with a very strong sense of human connection. We asked him a few questions about The Rite of Spring, his choreography and his future ventures.
What are you drawing inspiration from for your version of The Rite of Spring?
I wouldn’t say I’m drawing inspiration from other versions of the The Rite of Spring. Each work has been so original and its own I didn’t feel the need to pay homage to a particular piece. The storyline has such a strong basis between its themes of spring and sacrifice and I wanted to continue the tradition of creating a very original work following those themes. Like all versions, though, I am finding most of my inspiration in its powerful score.
How would you describe your creative process?
My creative process involves taking everything from ideas on set to the lighting of the piece, but especially through movement and the people I am creating on. All these elements influence each other and help to contribute to the overall piece.
What are the challenges and advantages of Stravinsky’s score?
I started by exploring the time signatures and musicality and realized fairly quickly the complexity of the score would make choreographing precise musicality very difficult. While it can be difficult, the music itself offers so much expression. There is a lot of discord as well, so the options for choreography are pretty unlimited.
What has the transition from full-time dancer to choreographer been like?
As a full-time dancer, you are very driven and focused towards one goal. There’s a lot of structure in that you rehearse, there’s a show and then you are on to the next production. As a post-professional dancer but still being involved in the arts, I teach, create and choreograph so I get to play around with a lot more of the creative process. This gives me more freedom, so it’s more of finding a balancing act of a level of structure within that freedom. I’ve definitely been enjoying it!
What is it like to work with a company and dancers that you are so familiar with?
Nothing but good. When you’re dancing and choreographing along with interacting with dancers, that can be difficult. But being so familiar with the dancers and having a bit more separation now is ideal. I have a huge amount of respect for the company and having been there first hand, I understand what their day entails. I also know the dancers well enough that I have the knowledge of what suits them choreographically, along with what movement they generally would or wouldn’t prefer to do.
What is your new non-profit Cre8dance and what is its mission?
Cre8dance is an annual choreographic competition that will take place in Pittsburgh. It invites 8-10 choreographers each year to perform a work that will be assessed by judges. They will also be provided with resources to develop and succeed in their choreographic endeavors. The mission is essentially to help and progress choreographic talent and provide opportunities. Hopefully, the Pittsburgh audience will reap the rewards of seeing lots of brand-new work! The inaugural performance will be May 24, 2025.
With The Rite of Spring’s history of provoking a strong reaction from its audience, what are you hoping this version will inspire in Pittsburgh’s audiences?
I definitely didn’t hold back in my choices and really went for it. I hope it thrills the audience, but most of all, I hope it inspires the audience to come back to see more, especially mixed repertoire and new works. I think this is essentially the future and the most important thing to keep dance moving forward.
Photos by Aviana Adams
Join the PBT dancers to celebrate the inevitability of spring at PBT’s Spring Mix: 5 for 55 mixed repertoire performances April 4-6.