“The title refers to Stravinsky’s ballet Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), the first I ever saw performed on stage as a young girl. As ballet students, we received free tickets to the opera; until recently, our teacher had danced here herself as a soloist.

The ballet tells the story of the sacrifice of a young woman, chosen in a ritual to be offered to the sun god. The music struck like lashes, and in Act 2, the dancer suddenly stood completely naked on stage, moving like a madwoman, exposing everything – her most intimate parts – to the audience. The male spectators in the stalls leapt to their feet for a better view, hooting and cheering her on as if they were in a strip club. Even when the woman lay motionless on stage, as if dead, they did not quieten. They kept shouting Bravo, bravo – again and again.

Later, we learned that our young teacher had been forced to leave the company because she refused to undergo breast removal surgery. The new ballet director favoured boyish female bodies in his ensemble. The only roles still available to her would have been “nude roles” like this one. Her lifelong dream had come to an abrupt end.

What sacrifices is one willing to make to gain recognition as an artist? How far must one conform, humiliate oneself, or sell out to be successful? These questions have preoccupied me for a long time – also as a photographer.

In my SACRE, the performers are confident enough not to sacrifice themselves. They dance out of joy and devotion, celebrating the elemental force of spring in a dark but gentle ritual.

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