Lyon Opéra Ballet - “House” by Sharon Eyal / “The Rite of Spring” by Mats Ek

In the striking Rite of Spring, created in 2022 by Mats Ek for the English National Ballet, the sacrificial ritual of the Chosen One becomes one of those arranged marriages still practiced around the world, in which a young woman is united with a man she does not know. This incisive reinterpretation of Nijinsky’s masterpiece joins the repertoire of the Lyon Opera Ballet this season. From his highly Japan-inspired 1984 version for the Cullberg Ballet, the choreographer retains the white make-up of Noh theatre and costumes reminiscent of kimonos. The company’s thirty dancers fully embrace his choreography, with its expansive gestures and virtuosic leaps, reconnecting with the tribal energy and sensual intensity of Stravinsky’s score. House by Sharon Eyal, recreated this year for the Lyon Opera Ballet, demonstrates the company’s ability to embrace a wide range of styles. Like the various rooms of a vast residence, this “house,” originally created in 2011 for the Batsheva Dance Company, brings together the multiple physical languages of a humanity that is half-robot, half-human. Carried by the hypnotic flow of Ori Lichtik’s techno rhythms, bodies—whether in solo or ensemble—are united in a shared sense of celebration. Between discipline and emotion, from ballet to electro. House Created by the Batsheva Dance Company in 2011 Restaged for the Lyon Opera Ballet in June 2026 Choreography: Sharon Eyal Choreographic Assistant: Léo Lérus Music: Ori Lichtik Costumes: Maayan Goldman Lighting: Alon Cohen Ballet Masters: Marco Merenda & Raúl Serrano Núñez Assistant Ballet Master: Amandine François Coproductions: Opéra de Lyon & Les Nuits de Fourvière, International Festival of the Lyon Metropolitan Area The Rite of Spring Created in 2022 for the English National Ballet, Sadler’s Wells, London With the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Choreography: Mats Ek Music: Igor Stravinsky Set and Costume Design: Marie-Louise Ekman Rehearsal Directors: Antonio Castilla, Ana Laguna Lighting: Linus Fellbom Ballet Masters: Marco Merenda & Raúl Serrano Núñez Assistant Ballet Master: Amandine François