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The ballet that provoked a brawl

The infamous 1913 opening night of The Rite of Spring ballet so appalled the glittering Parisian audience that many have said it caused a riot, with insults and even vegetables being thrown at the dancers. It was created by Sergei Diaghilev’s groundbreaking company the Ballet Russes, who knew that the experimental score and primitive dancing style challenged all the rules of traditional ballet. Bridget Kendall discusses the ballet’s shock factor with Laura Cappelle, Jane Pritchard and Lynn Garafola.

Photo: A scene From the ballet 'The Rite Of Spring', Paris 1913. (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

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3 minutes