The Martha Graham Dance Company at one-hundred years old is an emotional sight to see. They embody all that she stood for, they represent all that she created, and they are honoring her work, her life, her passion into the future. The dancers are formidable performers, beautifully trained and focused like lasers. Robert Greskovic of The Wall Street Journal dubbed them “Angelic Athletes” and I must say, the description still stands. A great deal is due to the heading of the company by the Artistic Director Janet Eilber. She welcomed the audience in a curtain speech that was on point and gracious, illuminating and relaxed. Her work is as evident onstage as any of the choreographers shown.
There were four dances on the program, two of Grahams’ works and two others by choreographers Jamar Roberts and Hofesh Shechter. I hadn’t seen the company in a while and what works beautifully in this line-up is the homage and dedication to the work which gave birth to the company side-by-side newer choreographers with 21st Century perspectives, allowing the company to be historic and relevant to today’s cultural climate at the same time. Not an easy feat.
Martha Graham Dance Company – Lloyd Knight with Leslie Andrea Williams in Martha Graham’s “Appalachian Spring” – Photo by Melissa Sherwood
‘Appalachian Spring’ with choreography and costumes by Martha Graham opened the program. This ballet had its premiere in 1944 although it had been in the works since 1941. The cast at the premiere starred Martha Graham as the Bride, Erick Hawkins as the Husbandman, May O’Donnell as the Pioneer Woman, and Merce Cunningham as the Revivalist.[58] Yuriko, Pearl Lang, Nina Fonaroff, and Marjorie Mazia danced the Revivalist’s followers. The music by Aaron Copland has become legendary for its Shaker themes and Americana feel. One could write an entire dissertation on this ballet alone but that is not within the scope of this review. Suffice it to say that the current cast met the challenge with aplomb. The choreography is exact, precise, and says exactly what is necessary to understand each character. The Revivalist, now named the Preacher, is very smooth and powerful, deliberate in his action. He has a solo which is a fire and brimstone sermon cautioning the young couple to take their wedding vows very seriously. At one point the young Husbandman comes downstage to the fence and looks out over the horizon waving to whom? Did he leave? Is he merely a memory in the young Bride’s imagination? Is she merely a memory in the Pioneering woman’s mind? This piece is evocative of so much longing. Anne Souder as the Bride was magnificent. Her upper back was an expressive entity unto itself, her épaulment exquisite. I rarely get to see such beautiful renversé. Her physical exuberance on her wedding day was infectious and captured that sense of hope so prevalent in the young. She delivered a nuanced performance that captivated the excitement, anxiety and open wonder of a new bride eager to set up her home and family. The original set by Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) is sparse and elemental in its simplicity. It refers to the great open space of the plains by outlining structures which we see through and past. The movement of the Pioneering Woman (Leslie Andrea Williams) is heroic and grand. It may be that the entire episode is merely a memory of her life. What comes across brilliantly is the technique of Graham able to illuminate such complex emotions as the characters in this story reveal. It is a testament to her genius and vision.
“We the People,” choreographed by Jamar Roberts with music by Rhiannon Giddens was visually stunning. The music referenced American Folk Music while juxtaposing the movement in order to comment on different aspects of historical events here in the U.S. The company shown brightly here as well with a very contemporary feel that couldn’t have been more different from the Graham work before it. Each section began with a solo in silence which served to underline what came after. The silence made the work all that more focused. The program notes state: “We the People hopes to serve as a reminder that the power for collective change belongs to the people.” As it always has, I am sure. One thinks of the storming of the Bastille July 14th 1789, or Hitler becoming Chancellor of Germany January 30th, 1933. Collective change can take many shapes depending on the will of the people. The work ends with a chilling visual as a man is accosted and knocked down by unseen forces and then has his hands pulled behind his back in order for handcuffs to be administered.
Martha Graham Dance Company – Leslie Andrea Williams in “Chronicle I” – Photo by Luis Luque
“Immediate Tragedy” with choreography and costume by Martha Graham was a solo created in 1937 in reaction to the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War. According to program notes, in 2020 Janet Eilber reimagined the choreography for ‘Immediate Tragedy’ utilizing recently discovered photos of Graham in a 1937 performance among other references. The woman in this piece is desperate, resilient and very determined. The soloist for this piece was Xin Ying who embodied the spirit of defiance until the very end. One thing about Graham’s choreography is it is never indifferent or careless. One cannot simply get through it. It demands total focus and attention. Ying accomplishes this with a vengeance. She is strong, committed and unwavering. The power of Graham’s women is amazing. Ying carries out complicated and very difficult movement with apparent ease. I was at the Graham school for a few years and the technique is daunting. It requires absolute concentration and strength. I marveled at the physical power summoned by my teachers, Marianne Bachman, Armgard Von Bardeleben and Carol Fried. At the end of the piece Ying is on her knees coming forward and occasionally getting hit with some horrendous force which threatens to extinguish her, her spirit. She recoils and then regroups and finally stands against all odds to steadfastly take another step forward. It was a Herculean effort and again, heroic in attitude. The costume of simple white bodice with a flowing black skirt with red underneath was extremely effective in amplifying the movement.
Archival photo – Martha Graham in “Immediate Tragedy” – Photo courtesy of MGDC.
“CAVE” was choreographed by Hofesh Shechter and is a tour-de-force of movement, stamina and ritual focus. The program notes state: “(Shechter) was searching for the essence that makes crowds of people move (dance) together in a deeply primal and connected way.” Truly I felt as though I was back at the ‘Limelight’ in 1986 New York, or ‘Area’ or the ‘Tunnel’ watching an Ecstasy induced trance dance. That is not to say it is a bad thing. I just never thought drug induced all-night dance marathons would eventually make it to the stage. They were epic then as this piece is now. It is interesting to share this specific mode of dance expression with a theater going audience. I am happy that, drugs notwithstanding, this form of almost hypnotic movement is now ensconced as theater worthy entertainment. To be sure, the dancers are a joy to watch as athletes at the top of their game playing with the possibilities of movement.
It is also noteworthy that both of the contemporary pieces on the program “We the People” and “CAVE” had to do with the collective. It would seem that a focus on the group, or individuals operating within a group, is what is important to both choreographers Roberts and Shechter. This is in stark contrast to what Graham herself was mainly focused on – the individual and their personal struggles. By adopting works by other choreographers, the Graham company ensures something for everyone. I look forward to the next hundred years.
To learn more about the Martha Graham Dance Company, please visit their website.
For more information about the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, please visit their website.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Martha Graham Dance Company in Hofesh Shechter’s “CAVE” – Photo by Isabella Pagano.
