The Rite of Spring of Farid El-Atrache

Shattering the myth of falling in love while dedicatedly embracing the feminine body, infused with the classical music created by Farid El-Atrache, the eternal lover – “Spring returns again greeted by the moon with grace Where has my lover gone casting me out from love paradise and into flames…” Alchemy of melody and rhythm through movement. From Maqam, the position defining a melodic pattern, to Taqsim, the most faithful embodiment of Maqam, transcending time signatures to offer greater freedom. From a heartbeat to the absence of a pulse, music and dance are merged to form cohesion. Dance is an integral part of the ritual and a catalyst of an uplifting experience and inner harmony. “…The breeze was a poem sang by the Nile Its fresh water continuously singing Its undulating curves, the Oud; the moon rays, its strings…” Four women face the sacrifice of love The end is the beginning, blossoming and withering, expressed through the body The agony of love that has inspired a great many mesmerizing poetic creations, replaced by Tarab, a sense of ecstasy and elation. A dance ritual throughout the unlimited realms of time and space.

Orly Portal, is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, movement and voice therapist, and researcher of Moroccan folklore. She has developed a unique dance language that focuses on the body’s natural movement and gestures that respect physical and mental structures. Her creative path highlights contemporary interpretation of ancient traditions and combines elements of contemporary modern dance, contact improvisation, Feldenkrais and belly dancing.