Spring is coming to Athens with the dance group Martha Graham
Spring is coming with beautiful dance rhythms and in fact with the signature of Martha Graham, that is, with the elaborate dance steps inspired by the priestess of modern dance in her group that arrives in Athens for the big Spring Festival organized by the Concert Hall. The famous Martha Graham Dance Company completes in the best way the successful festival with the dancers of the emblematic band, which has appeared in more than 50 countries, to perform in a pan-European premiere the new production “Canticle for innocent comedians”, inspired by a lost to now the choreography of Graham, while in the same performances we will have the opportunity to enjoy the famous group and in the now classic choreography of “Acts of Light”.
Who was the leading dancer of the 20th century
Martha Graham was not just an inspirational artist, a dancer who had turned every move into a gentle expression of grandeur and grace, incorporating modern elements into dance that until then had simply been intertwined with ballet. She was the woman who at the beginning of the 20th century, following in the footsteps of the great Isidora Duncan, laid the foundations for the transformation of dance into something dynamic, revolutionary and modern.
Born in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania suburban bourgeoisie in the late 19th century to a family of educated bourgeois who supported her in big dreams and raised her with influences and images from the cultures of the world, Graham made sense to incorporate all of these references into the references. her dynamic choreographies. From the first ventures that entangled Egyptian dances and Greek elements with dance expression, to her great works, the modern look, the experimentation but also the respect for the classical elements distinguished the stylistic elements of her work.
Recognition, however, did not take long to come after she decided to leave California, where she lived, to settle in New York in 1926. From the first steps, Graham was recognized. of her colleagues, who praised the very popular experimental character of her ventures at the time. Always quoting her psychiatrist father as saying, “The body and the movement never lie,” as one who studied dance as a cure for mental illness, Graham could only take dance to the absolute familiar. language and its expression.
She even developed her own technique, which became known as the “Graham Method”, which was based on “compression” and “decompression”, ie the symmetrical body expression based on the proportions of nature and the contact that the body has with . earth, as the bare feet rested directly on the floor transforming the movements of the dance into direct expressions of the soul. At a time when ballet was characterized by austerity and specific codes, throwing a choreographer away from the points was more than radical. It was absolutely revolutionary and groundbreaking.
Her famous friends: from Gregory Peck to Alexis Minotis
It was no coincidence that from the beginning Graham was recognized in art circles, with famous actors, dancers and musicians rushing to receive her lights. She said she was pleased to teach movement and dance expression to famous actors such as Gregory Peck and Betty Davis, who said he adored her because “it was so intense and flame that it was enough to give ten men strength. . ». However, nothing could detract from her need to isolate herself in order to be able to detect any invisible bits that could help her different choreography that she aimed to capture through the movement of the human heart.
Influenced by Jung, whom her father had learned, as well as the ancient mysteries, it was not until 1931 that Graham created a choreography entitled “Primitive Mysteries” which received rave reviews and made a distinction around the world. The ancient rituals but also the sacred, tragic, dynamic female figures of the ancient world began to dominate in her work completely influenced by the ancient Greek universe: after a series of works with heroines Medea, Jocasta, Alceste, Phaedra in Ariadne, Martha Graham signed in 1958 the masterpiece “Clytemnestra”. It was the first fully directed dance work in two acts, with radical materials, minimalist expression and references to the hidden, “inner landscape” as the choreographer herself called it.
This was followed by the impressive “Acrobats of the Gods” which marked the arrival of the new 60’s that would find the most acclaimed choreographer in the world. In the late 1960s Graham stopped dancing, giving the baton to their great dancers, whom she continued to lead with her group, the famous Martha Graham Dance Company, through which great dancers and choreographers such as Mers Cunningham emerged. Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Eric Hawking. In the 181 choreographies that Graham created for her group, we saw celebrities dominate, including Mikael Baryshnikov, Margot Fontaine, Lisa Minelli, Rudolf Nureyev, Maya Plisetskaya and She did not stop keeping in touch with top personalities such as Andy Warhol, Isamu Nogushi and Halston who had designed top costumes for her performances – and we will have the opportunity to see the iconic “Acts of Light”.
What are “Acts of Light”?
“Thank you for your bright gestures, which beautified a summer, now relaxed,” wrote her beloved Martha Graham poet Emily Dickinson, inspiring her memorable work, which premiered February 26, 1981 at the J.R. Center for the Performing Arts. F. Kennedy and has been considered a classic ever since. At least that’s what the famous New York Times dance critic Anna Kieselgov called it then – to be precise, she described it as “neoclassical” – she describes not only her style but also the fact that she managed to establish herself among the iconic works of dance from the beginning. worldwide. .
Among the reasons why the famous critic preferred this title instead of “modern” was the fact that this choreography was not accompanied by the well-known experimental, modern sounds with which Graham likes to “dress” her works, but the music. . of the 19th century Danish composer Karl Nielsen. The play has three sections: the opening duet “Lovers’ Conversations” explores the ever-changing love affair, while the music for the second part “Mourning” was written by Nielsen on the occasion of the death of a friend. Graham’s reference to her older work “Lamentation” is also obvious, while the third part entitled “Ritual for the Sun” reminds her of her love for the ancient rituals that caused her and her trademark.
The unknown and lost “Psalm for Innocent Comedians” / “Canticle for Innocent Comedians”
Graham’s love of poetry and painting was well known, which inspired many of the highlights of her choreography. This time the inspiration comes from the title of a famous poem by Ben Belit, which seems to dynamically determine the evolution of the eight masterpieces that accompanied the appearance of the dancers on stage: “Sun”, “Earth”, “Air”, “Water” . “,” Fire “,” Moon “,” Stars “and” Death “. It is a work unknown to many, which although much loved by critics and the public when it was first uploaded, in the process its traces were gradually eliminated and came to be considered lost. Today, however, the group returns to the forefront keeping the elements of the original choreography, but giving the opportunity to the eight choreographers who edited it to add their own original influences.
Of course, the “Moon” survives from the work as it was recorded in the 50’s and so it can be transferred as it is with the jazz music of Jason Moran that accompanies it. Leading the way is Emmy and Tony Award-winning choreographer Sonia Thea – known for her stunning “Moulin Rouge” and other memorable Broadway works. With her groundbreaking look, Teia managed to represent with inspiring accuracy the precious pieces of the “Moon”, “which continues the halves of the first and the last / in a faith finally common” as Belit characteristically says in his poem, with the members . of the ensemble to reveal in a unique way the hidden secrets of the unforgettable choreographer.
This choreography proves that Graham’s spirit remains alive through her group, which takes care to be different in different parts of the world, giving space to young choreographers, just as she did. Maybe there was no better way to complete the Spring Festival at the Concert Hall, after the unforgettable appearance of the top piano soloist Maria Joao Pires and the special events for 100 years since the death of Giannis Xenakis.
Martha Graham Dance Company
«Acts of Light», «Canticle For Innocent Comedians»
Spring Festival
31 / 3-17 / 4/2022
www.megaron.gr
210 7282333
Vas. Sofias & Kokkali 1
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