If you have followed my Boston Ballet recaps, you likely know that my favorite seatmate is my 14-year-old son and ballet buddy, Vince. He has been coming along since he first saw The Nutcracker back in 2018, when he was 7. On March 5th, he was right by my side again at the Citizens Opera House, where we were both completely mesmerized by the Winter Experience program.
Le Sacre du Printemps
It may have been Boston Ballet’s Winter Experience, but it opened with The Rite of Spring – or Le Sacre du Printemps. While the plot is a bit dark, the performance was an absolute marathon for the dancers and a total rush for the audience. The focus is on the pure, frantic energy of Stravinsky’s score, and the movements are incredibly sharp, urgent, and intense. It captures that sense of a group being driven by something larger than themselves, but does so through pure physical skill rather than theatrical props.
The original follows an ancient pagan tribe performing a ritual to welcome spring, which eventually ends with a young girl, the Chosen One, being forced to dance herself to death as a sacrifice to the earth. It is meant to feel primitive, raw, and high stakes, rather than elegant or pretty.
And that goal of rawness was fully achieved. Sitting there, you could just sense the energy buzzing in the air as the dancers took on those famous, jagged rhythms; it was almost impossible not to hold your breath. For me, it was one of those rare moments when the choreography and the music seemed to merge into a single, living thing. If you’ve ever wanted to experience The Rite of Spring in a way that honors its roots but makes it feel totally new, this is the performance to catch!
And that performance seemed to be a warm-up for what is a truly beloved ballet – Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon, which Vince and I first saw during the 2024 Fall Experience program.
The Seasons’ Canon
The Seasons’ Canon is a total fever dream in the best way possible. Imagine fifty-four dancers moving in such perfect sync that they look like a single, breathing organism or a massive wave crashing across the stage. Set to Max Richter’s gritty, modern take on Vivaldi, the piece portrays the cycles of nature and humanity’s place within them, depicting emergence, disruption, and renewal in the natural world. It is honestly wild to see that many people on stage acting as one giant, pulsing heartbeat.
The backdrop of fractured light made the movements feel as though they were occurring underwater, or somewhere beneath the surface of life.
The most incredible part is how the dancers ripple and shiver together, creating these visual effects that look like time-lapse photography of a forest growing or a storm rolling in. There is a specific moment where they all vibrate in unison that just sends chills down your spine. It is the kind of performance that is so visually massive and emotionally loud that it stays with you long after the curtain falls.
Vince loved it. I loved it. You’ll love it. Get your tickets now, because it is unlike anything else in the repertoire right now. Winter Experience runs through March 15th.
Get your tickets HERE.
How it started and how it is going!
