"She Lived Through Creativity. She Didn't Feel Alive If She Wasn't Creating. To Her, Dance Was Not Entertainment, It Was An Exploration Of Life." (1)
Graham's first dances were very raw; lacking distracting costumes, intense lighting, and large props. Over time, the dynamic of her dances changed, featuring more dramatic scenery and music as a way to enhance her pieces. (2) Universally throughout her work, Graham's style of movement and intent remained constant as she broke the mold of traditional dance.
Her pieces were closely related to those she performed in the Denishawn School of Dancing until 1930. At this time, Graham took what she learned about the Delsartean principle of tension and relaxation at school to invent the "contraction and release". This system of impulsive chest contractions was revolutionary in the world of modern dance; it conveyed emotion through physical movement without the need of facial expressions and was an unheard way of moving. Sharp and unexpected, this movement marked Martha's style and set her apart from other modern dancers like Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis since their pieces were marked with fluidity. In the picture below you can see how Graham used her contraction in her chest and reach of her arms to show longing without having to explain herself with a description
Although audiences grew to love Graham's work, most did not appreciate it at first since it was not graceful or beautiful like the dance they were used to. Her intense contraction and release was done so forcefully those watching were unsure of how to react. Graham was scorned by the public, some even called her dances "ugly" but the ridicule did not hamper her because Graham wanted to convey the dark and ugly emotions she faced through her dances. She had no desire to create a picture perfect dance that the world had seen countless times before in ballet because "she wanted her dances to be 'felt' rather than 'understood'". (3) "Lamentation", Graham's signature piece, choreographed in the 1930's, is an example of this desire as piece is full of anguish rather. The public grew to love Graham's work since each of her pieces was a reflection of her emotions at the time hers.
Her pieces were closely related to those she performed in the Denishawn School of Dancing until 1930. At this time, Graham took what she learned about the Delsartean principle of tension and relaxation at school to invent the "contraction and release". This system of impulsive chest contractions was revolutionary in the world of modern dance; it conveyed emotion through physical movement without the need of facial expressions and was an unheard way of moving. Sharp and unexpected, this movement marked Martha's style and set her apart from other modern dancers like Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis since their pieces were marked with fluidity. In the picture below you can see how Graham used her contraction in her chest and reach of her arms to show longing without having to explain herself with a description
Although audiences grew to love Graham's work, most did not appreciate it at first since it was not graceful or beautiful like the dance they were used to. Her intense contraction and release was done so forcefully those watching were unsure of how to react. Graham was scorned by the public, some even called her dances "ugly" but the ridicule did not hamper her because Graham wanted to convey the dark and ugly emotions she faced through her dances. She had no desire to create a picture perfect dance that the world had seen countless times before in ballet because "she wanted her dances to be 'felt' rather than 'understood'". (3) "Lamentation", Graham's signature piece, choreographed in the 1930's, is an example of this desire as piece is full of anguish rather. The public grew to love Graham's work since each of her pieces was a reflection of her emotions at the time hers.
(*)
The video below shows Graham dancing "Lamenation", her signature piece in which she is the representation of grief. To convey this, Graham is trapped in a tube of elastic fabric that prevents her from being able to escape. The shapeless costume blurs the difference from where her body stops and the fabric begins, making the fabric a continuation of her physical body and symbolically, her emotions. Graham plays with the parameters of the costume's meaning to “indicate the tragedy that obsesses the body, the ability to stretch inside your own skin, to witness and test the perimeters and boundaries of grief." (3)
This BBC interview of Katherine Crockett, a dancer studying Graham's work, starts to capture what I admire most about Graham. It is unfathomable how brave Graham was to break the mold of ballet and the first forms of modern dance. The earlier innovators of Modern Dance, such as Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, and Ruth St. Denis, were also admirable in their work but did not push the limits as far. For example, Loie Fuller was inspired by the lighting on a skirt to create the push to Modern Dance but her choreography was still closely tied to ballet. Graham's work was drastically different than anything the world had seen before. Her passion for dance and desire to share something meaningful, with themes relating to herself and the audience instead of just entertainment like Romantic and Classical ballet, gave her the courage to show something she knew would receive mixed reviews.
This BBC interview of Katherine Crockett, a dancer studying Graham's work, starts to capture what I admire most about Graham. It is unfathomable how brave Graham was to break the mold of ballet and the first forms of modern dance. The earlier innovators of Modern Dance, such as Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, and Ruth St. Denis, were also admirable in their work but did not push the limits as far. For example, Loie Fuller was inspired by the lighting on a skirt to create the push to Modern Dance but her choreography was still closely tied to ballet. Graham's work was drastically different than anything the world had seen before. Her passion for dance and desire to share something meaningful, with themes relating to herself and the audience instead of just entertainment like Romantic and Classical ballet, gave her the courage to show something she knew would receive mixed reviews.
Appalachian Spring shown below, the underlying theme centered on Martha's fear of the frontier resonated in the audience members of the time since they shared the same concerns. In this section, a bride, played by Graham, and groom's celebration of their marriage is interrupted by the revivalists warnings of the frontier. The piece follows the couple's emotions in their relationship as they are married.
(5)
This is a clip from "Night Journey", an iconic piece of Graham's as it remakes the tragedy Oedipus Rex. The story in her rendition, the story is altered to be seen through the perspective of Oedipus' wife and mother, Jocasta (played by Graham). The other dancers are members of her company.
(6)
Clytemnestra, below, is performed by a dancer of Graham's company in the late 1950s as her reaction to the Trojan War.
(7)