Igor Stravinsky might be turning over in his grave, but then again, he might be dancing. A radical reimagining of his 1913 ballet “The Rite of Spring†- without dancers but with powdered bone that is “choreographed† - has been canceled by the Manchester International Festival. The initial July 14-19 run, staged by Romeo Castellucci, the innovative director, was felled by several technical problems, Nadja Coyne, a spokeswoman for the festival said Friday.
The glitches included the logistics of importing 20 tons of bone powder and finding enough room for the huge, powder-dispersing machine in the performance space, a run-down former railway depot.  Mr. Stravinsky’s ballet was considered provocative in its time because of its avant-garde use of music and choreography. It created a sensation when it debuted in Paris.
“After careful consideration we have reluctantly concluded that the new staging of ‘The Rite of Spring’ â€" directed by Romeo Castellucci and conducted by Teodor Currentzis â€" is not yet possible in the format that the artist has envisioned and we must cancel this summer’s run in Manchester,†festival officials said in a statement.
“We are working with our partners, the Ruhrtriennale 2012 - 2014 in Germany and Perm State Opera and Ballet Theatre in Russia, to continue to realize this radical new production; more details will be available in due course,† the statement continued.
The festival began in 2007 and presents original new work and special events in performing and visual arts. It is held biennially in Manchester, England. The highlights of the first three festivals include Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett and Chen Shi-Zheng’s Chinese opera “Monkey: Journey to the Westâ€; and the director Robert Wilson’s new piece for the stage, “The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic.†This year’s festival includes Kenneth Branagh in “Macbeth†and “Massive Attack v Adam Curtis,†a new show from Robert Del Naja, of the group Massive Attack, and the filmmaker Adam Curtis.
