Dewey Dell's radical insectoid 'Sacre du printemps' challenges anthropocentrism

Teodora Castellucci's company Dewey Dell has created a new version of Stravinsky's 'Sacre du printemps' that replaces the sacrificial virgin with insect metamorphosis. Premiered in April 2023 at Triennale Teatro di Milano, the production continues touring in 2024, including dates at Torinodanza (October 20-21) and Festival Aperto in Reggio Emilia (November 3). The set by Vito Matera evokes a sandy cave with beetles, worms, and creatures with golden beaks. Castellucci draws on philosopher Emanuele Coccia's 'Metamorfosi' (Einaudi, 2022) to explore cyclical life-death transformations. The piece features dancers Alberto Mix Galluzzi, NastyDen, and Francesca Siracusa, with music calibrated by Demetrio Castellucci. In the second half, beekeepers appear and one is sucked into a black hole by a fantastical insect. The work critiques human dominance over nature, reflecting the post-pandemic crisis of anthropocentrism. The original 1913 ballet by Nijinsky for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes caused a scandal in Paris; later choreographers including Béjart, Bausch, Graham, and Tetley reinterpreted it.