Inspired by the implications of a series of ancient rituals in Russia, the ballet “The Rite of Spring” (“Le Sacre du Printemps”) originally reflected a religious ritual in which a woman is sacrificed for the God of Spring.

But as the years have passed by, people have gradually changed their tastes in art, so the century-old classis ballet has been transformed into the embodiment of the sacrifice of youth for enthusiasm and passion for artistic dancing and its sanctum - the stage.

“We are living in a new age of democracy, and I don’t think we need any woman to sacrifice for any reason,” said choreographer Jean-Claude Gallotta, a distinguished representative of French contemporary dance.

With casual outfits, and almost nothing but enthusiasm, represented in energetic dance and bold body language, the 13 artists, sweating buckets, turned the stage of Ben Thanh Theater into their playground, and exhibited what they have successfully done in 200 shows worldwide.

The 45-minute non-stop show was the most eloquent evidence of their hard work and the progress they have made from their very first faltering and hesitant breathing, said Gallotta, also the director of the Grenoble National Choreographic Centre.

The artists, dancing with great pleasure, led the audience into their world starting with the scream of a woman – a virgin who is supposed to be sacrificed. They danced in near-silence with the sound of wind and several solo dances.

All of a sudden, the song “Tumulte” (“The Excitement”) began, and it was then time for the main part of the performance – the ceremonial ritual for the “Rite of Spring” began. All of the artists burned themselves in every movement with great speed until the end of the show, when they pulled up the carpet like a tidal wave.

The performers had planned a very short farewell to the audience, but with nonstop applause from the spectators in the 1000-seat hall of Ben Thanh Theater, Gallotta decided to change it into a traditional one, similar to what he and his team did in Europe, with so many rounds of bowing to express their gratitude towards the enthusiastic crowd.

“Many told me that Asian audiences often don’t show their enthusiasm to the artists too much, but what I saw here in Ho Chi Minh City really surprised me,” he told Tuoi Tre News.

“I’m so happy with the end of the show,” he said.

When asked why the artists were dressed in casual clothing, Gallotta said that since he specializes in contemporary dance, he thought that such clothing may best express the idea of his show.

“The word ‘ballet’ in French just means dancing, so it is unnecessary to do a traditional ballet performance with white dressing.”

“If I have a chance to return to Vietnam for another show, I will cooperate with local dancers and choreographers for something very Vietnamese,” he said.