There is a madness in the music. 
the madness of rebellious composers, & of poets. 
of lovers, & of those who suffer for believing
there is a place beyond obscurity. 

L’Adoration de la Terre: 

there is rage in the choreography. 
the dancers profess their pagan adoration
of Spring, mistress of renewal. 
they dance a sexual frenzy, in thrall to Gaia. 
their dementia deviates into terpsichore, 
as their king kneels & kisses the earth. 

Le Sacrifice: 

the ballerinas arrive from the river. 
they are lithe & lovely, as ballerinas are, 
clothed in peasant tunics, torn & form-fitting. 
& the fairest of these becomes the ‘chosen.’ 

but the primitive dance steps, lacking the grace & fluidity
of traditional ballet, are met with disdain by the audience. 
(who are we to judge? 
we are human parodies in a penny opera.) 

in the final movement, the girl dances
because the gods demand it. 
her maneuvers are contorted, & energetic, 
almost ugly, & exquisitely beautiful. 

until the intensity of it ravages her, 
& she lay upon the stage…& does not move. 

it is the music
& the dancing
& the beauty

that killed her. 

Poem by John Feddeler

Photographer: Rosa Scipion
Model: Loutje Hoekstra