Five Phases of Spring, a ballet in five segments
Instrumentation: for Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Percussion and String Quartet
Duration: 15 min
Program Note:
“Five Phases” – “Wu Xing” (pronounced as “Woo Shing”), refers to the traditional Chinese philosophy of classifying natural phenomena into Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.
When it became clear that the “Five Phases” would set the structure of my new ballet, I asked myself: “How does an ancient, not to mention deeply abstract concept relate to me, my surroundings, and ultimately, Modernism?”
A female Mayfly was born for her one day of life to tell us her side of the story:
1: Metal – In a vast motor vehicle junk yard, which extends to the horizon and beyond, female mayfly Bibi is born for her one day of life.
2: Wood – Bibi is pursued by a male mayfly into a dead rain forest. They fall in love and they mate.
3: Water – Bibi finds a river to nest her eggs. But the river is polluted now. Bibi watches in horror as her eggs wither and die.
4: Fire – Thousands of mayflies have suffered the same tragedy. Bibi watches as they dive to their death into a wild fire.
5: Earth – On the bed of cracked and burnt earth, Bibi performs a memorial to all sacrificed mayflies by dancing in the last minute of her life. She then melts into the earth and turns into the first sign green.