MFA in Dance Candidate Jessica Wilson Presents “Winter’s End”

MFA in Dance candidate Jessica Wilson will present her thesis concert, “Winter’s End,” a provocative exploration of the societal expectation of women as sacrificial figures. Drawing upon the infamous “The Rite of Spring,” Wilson reimagines this historical piece to reveal the enduring cycles of power and patriarchy that have long dictated the narrative of sacrifice (particularly of women) in society.

“Winter’s End” critically engages with the legacy of “The Rite of Spring,” a work that has been celebrated and restaged countless times, beginning with its controversial debut in Paris with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky and later interpreted by Pina Bausch. Wilson’s work acknowledges these iconic renditions while providing new interpretations to highlight the persistence of sacrificial themes across different eras.

Wilson shares; “I hated ‘The Rite of Spring.’ I understood that it was significant in the modern movement for both music and dance, but I didn’t understand why it continues to be restaged when it represents such an unnecessary disregard for life and specifically a woman’s life. As current events continue to ignore or even directly remove women’s safety, education, and health, I decided to turn to this iconic work. My piece, ‘Winter’s End,’ uses ‘The Rite of Spring’ and its history to explore and confront society’s expectation of women as sacrifice.”

The concert will take place at the Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance September 20th and 21st at 7:30pm and September 22nd at 2pm. Tickets are available at unmtickets.com