Martha Graham Principal Dancer Katherine Crockett in rehearsal of "Acts of Light"

[LPD123]

so I'm obsessed!

[moderndancer09]

amazing!

[Lucasdanse]

what is the music?? it's beautiful???



[BillSalem]

@Lucasdanse The music is "Helios" by the wonderful Scandanavian composer whose name escapes me at the moment.

[marlngomz]

@BillSalem Carl August Nielsen

[BillSalem]

@marlngomz  Of course, Nielsen! Thank you.

[BillSalem]

This is barely choreography. Its really the floor technique which opens every Graham dance class. Graham was scratching the bottom of the creative barrel. Its a long way from Acts of Light to the stupendous choreography of Night Journey; or Cave of the Heart, (whose composer, Samuel Barber, said that as a title, Cave of the Heart is way too over the top. He wanted it titled simply MEDEA. My vote is for Dark Meadow as her finest work. Diversion of Angels as most lyrical.

[wesleyan97]

@BillSalem "Barely choreography" <--- I would say the same about the men's roles in even her best dances. When the movement emanated from her own body and emotional life it often had a genius that was both primordial and utterly modern. When it didn't, eh... I love seeing the floor work as part of a dance--rather beautiful as warm ups go.

[BillSalem]

@wesleyan97 LOL Yes. The warmup has moments of real beauty. Kazuko Hirabayashi pointed that out many years ago when we were at Juilliard. Smart lady! Agreed about the men's roles. Jason's moves in Cave are clunky indeed. Ditto the princess. But Paul Taylor's solo in Alcestis: Stupendous! Though its likely Martha started him off saying: thrust the flower through the stone then do something more with it for 60 odd bars.

Don't know if Alcestis is still in rep. Not my fave score.