Martha Graham: On Passion
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her style, the Graham Technique, reshaped American dance. She danced and taught for over seventy years. Founded in 1926 (the same year as Graham's professional dance company), the Martha Graham School is the oldest school of dance in the United States.
Below, you can watch one of her noteworthy pieces, “Appalachian Spring,” which premiered in 1944, choreographed to Aaron Copland’s suite of the same name (one of my favorite pieces of music). Graham appears as “The Bride” in this version; she enters the stage at 1:20 min, in Part 1 of the performance.
You will notice that the modern Graham style of dance, though very different from ballet, is nonetheless captivating. Unlike ballet, there is no turnout and the movements do not rigidly follow the technique and principles of the ballet discipline. Rather, movement is focused more on raw expressiveness, aimed at increasing the emotional activity of the dancer’s body.
Enjoy this American dance classic!
Appalachian Spring, Part 1