Rite Of Spring Poem by gershon hepner

They asked “Are these the virgins, d’you suppose? ”
“No, ” they answered, “they’re the rioters of spring.”
High in the air Stravinsky stuck his nose,
and thumbed his nose at rules he flouted in a fling.

Anglohorny, Firebird joined in
the revelry, but hardly seemed inclined to riot,
but many for the first time dared to spin,
and danced throughout night, devoted to disquiet.

Inspired by a performance of RoS Indexical, a dance performed at the Disney Redcat Theater. RoS Indexical invokes the passion and furor that accompanied the premiere of the Rite of Spring at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées, and the music was derived from original, performed on a soundtrack provided by the BBC. The performers were by Pat Catterson, Emily Coates, Patricia Hofbauer and Sally Silvers. Yvonne Rainier was visiting her mother in a hospice. The evening ended with a dance inspired by Ravel’s Boléro, written 15 years after the RoS, and clearly influenced by it.

Gershon Hepner