ThisFunktional Magazine Volume 4 Issue 02 - October 2023

American Contemporary Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional American Contemporary Ballet take audiences through a journey of sacrifice in “The Rite and Burlesque,” performances going on now through October 28.

Ballet does not usually inspire fear, ACB and Director Lincoln Jones bring a bewitching performance of “The Rite” ballet and a Lynchian burlesque show to Los Angeles starting on October 6.

“The Rite,” ACB’s adaptation of Igor Stravinsky's “The Rite of Spring,” hopes to inspire a frightening performance straight through as it immerses the audience in a world inhabited by bewitching young women – one chosen, one sacrificed – and the score that caused a riot in 1913 Paris.

As the start to the three short performances, and the longest of the three, “The Rite” enchants attendees as they are immersed into the plot of rituals and sacrifice.

“Plot with ballet is a difficult thing, ” Jones said. “It becomes more difficult in the fact that ballet’s subject matter is dancing. Plot can be sort of an uncomfortable partner there” Unlike with different elements of film, conveying everything successfully through just movement can be limiting.

Creating storyline through more symbolic means in ballet have not been explored too much traditionally.

For Jones, the Lynchian style lends itself to bringing out story elements using this film style. “‘The Rite,’ is based on ‘The Rite of Spring,’ it has a really good plot device which is that it’s based on the human sacrifice,” Jones said. “You know what is going to happen essentially and the audiences is already there.”

With elements of the story already in the mind of the audience, the ballet can