By Jill Overacker, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival

The 2012 Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival will tackle large and complex works by the famous 20^th century Russian composer, Igor Stravinsky. One such work will be the ballet which first earned Stravinsky international fame, The Rite of Spring. The work, whose 1913 Paris premiere provoked one of the most famous classical music riots of all time, transformed the way in which subsequent composers would come to think about rhythmic structure and has had a lasting effect on the musical community.

With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Festival will work with the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble to help stage this truly unique work. EDE’s Artistic Director, Laurie Eisenhower, will create brand new choreography inspired by the music for the dancers of EDE.

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble is currently in its 21^st professional season. The company was founded in 1991 by Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower in metropolitan Detroit. Since its inception, EDE has been dedicated to the performance of a diverse range of contemporary dance works. Along with Ms. Eisenhower’s highly acclaimed choreography, EDE showcases the works of young talented artists along with choreographers with established reputations. EDE previously worked with the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival when they presented Igor Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale with Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings.