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Lite of Spring - Light pushes and pulls, it can be our guide, a sculpture, a beacon of hope. Light moves in waves, carried by forces it penetrates, pulses and moves objects. Joshie Harriette’s / Lab 13’s Light of Spring, a performative work at The Place was illuminating, offering new frequencies. Void of human forms, we were graced by a company of bulbs, programmed to the restlessness sounds of Stravinsky’s the Rite or Spring. The work shone through the space, understated, refractive and refreshing. Referencing the usual stage rig of lighting left redundant. It gave as much as a movement can, perhaps even more. Our pupils aching as the dancing bulbs dilated our curious eyes. A work glowing with potential, projecting a future and shifting the spotlight. (Micheal P Johnson, Producer)
I saw the dress rehearsal of Lite of Spring at The Place and was mesmerised.
The light sculptures had such character and beauty and were interesting as individual sculptures but also managed to speak to one another through the space - becoming a chorus.
The choreography of the light to the music was exceptional - and somehow Josh had managed to imbue their own sensibility and grace as a dancer into the piece.
The Rite of Spring is an awe inspiring iconic piece music and I felt that this work met the music in a beautiful way - allowing me to hear it afresh.
Somehow the fact that there were no human beings on stage helped me to hear and see the movement of the music itself rather than focus on any psychological narrative that many dance productions offer. This play of light, space and music was very powerful. (Suzy Wilson, Artistic Dir, Clod Ensemble)
In Joshua Harriette's The Light of Spring, light and its movements are a choreographic approach that can radically expand the possibilities of dance. The artistic pallet of this work is built around Igor Stravinsky’s classic ballet and orchestral composition The Rite of Spring. Unhinging this work from its historic roots, The Light of Spring innovatively incorporates light, movement and rhythm to transport its audiences to the distant and unearthly atmospheres of a new dance world. The moments of the performance that were the most exhilarating were those that opened and closed the performance. This organic beam of white light emerging from a black background, and the tower of red heartbeats that pulsated from the centre of the stage were brilliant pieces of stillness that stilled and instilled in us a new dimension. (Sarah-Mace Dennis, Crictic)
Joshua Harriette captures the music in shape and form both with deft touches and towering (literally) galactic like mysteries. He has successfully taken the score beyond it’s original intentions as a dance score and released the fresh and new into it.
He has created an incredible visual response to Stravinsky’s masterpiece Rite of Spring. A score written originally for Diaghilev and his Ballet Russe first premiered in 1912 but here envisioned for 2022 and beyond as ideas and rhythmic calculations that pour off the stage as light. Throbbing, sensual, physical.So looking forward to seeing where he takes this next.
(Mark Baldwin OBE, Choreographer, Artist Director Rambert 2002-18)
So, so magical - each of the lights had its own personality and energy. I had a smile on my face the whole time - one of the most captivating performances I've seen in a long time, and really opened up your mind to imagination + interpretation. The geometric lights in the back corner were menacing, and when the fairy lights turned on, they felt cheeky and sexy. Was also so nice to see music reimagined through lighting - it added a new layer to the rite of spring which I'd never seen before (Magnus Westwell, Choreographer)
A choreography of light, Joshua Harriette’s The Lite of Spring feels like a meditation on the intricacies of Stravinksy’s score. Block colours flash rhythmically across a heap of lighting grids picking out the jagged strings, while a morphing ring of projected light catches at the softer, trilling melodies. As the work builds, different lights begin to adopt their own personas - searching, menacing, frantic - dancing a journey through Stravinsky's iconic work towards its inevitable red-washed conclusion. Some moments work better than others, but it’s an enjoyably mesmeric experience. (Rachel Elderkin, Crictic)
Lite of Spring Reflection - I had never seen anything like it before. Stravinsky’s composition is extremely emotive and the lights worked to pull it all together. It was incredible to witness the the lights converse. To allow them to guide my eyes to spaces which I had not noticed before. Josh demonstrated how limitless the light is (RUDZ, audience)
It opened the door in my understanding in what impact you can do with light on stage if you remove from a traditional role; the traditional role being how it is used to light up actors. (Bethany, audience)
The worlds Joshie creates always leaves me in awe. The beautiful dystopian story of ‘The light of spring’ mixed with the Stranvinsky composition is a masterpiece and can’t wait to see how the ‘light characters’ develop More of this please. #bestBePayingYourLightsITCRates (Sonny, director)
Characters and creatures communicate with colours and glowing pulses. We the humans, are the visitors to this illuminated space. That is a feeling of wander.” (Jess, audience)