Tag: Martha Graham Dance Company

Graham Classics + New Works ~ 2023

Above: from Annie Rigney’s new work for the Martha Graham Dance Company, GET UP, MY DAUGHTER

Sunday April 23rd, 2023 matinee – Two Graham masterpieces and two recently-premiered works new to the Graham Company repertoire held the stage at the Joyce Theater this afternoon.

DARK MEADOW SUITE, one of Graham’s most beautiful works (with an equally beautiful Carlos Chávez score) opened the performance. At curtain-rise, the women are posed like icons, with Anne Souder slightly removed from the others. They begin stamping their feet. A plaintive violin theme is heard, joined by the cello. The women move with classic Graham steps and gestures; Ms. Souder is simply sublime.

Now Lloyd Knight (above) appears, striking poses in a spellbinding opening solo which develops into a stage-filling dance. Ms. Souder joins him for a duet in which an electric current seems to pass between them; their intimate partnering is at once sensual and ritualistic.

The kneeling men hold the women in a uniquely lovely leaning, questing pose, symbolic of seeking or longing; Ms. Souder and Mr. Knight continue to reign in duet and solo phrases: unbearably tender and heartfelt.

Aside from the principal couple, the cast for MEADOW today featured Leslie Andrea Williams, Laurel Dalley Smith, Marzia Memoli, Devin Loh, Kate Reyes, Jacob Larsen, Richard Villaverde, and new-to-Graham James Anthony.

Above: Marzia Memoli and So Young An in Annie Rigney’s GET UP, MY DAUGHTER; photo by Steven Pisano

Ms. Rigney’s debut piece for Graham opened earlier in the week. It is a harrowing work, set to a thrilling score by Marco Rosano which incorporates Bulgarian folk music with original themes by the composer, and with stunning lighting by Yi Chung-Chen. It tells a story similar to one that I heard long ago from my high-school girlfriend.

A quartet of young women in satiny frocks – So Young An, Anne O’Donnell, Anne Souder, and Marzia Memoli – dance together to chanted harmonies. They seem wary, full of angst and longing.

Above, in a Melissa Sherwood photo: Richard Villaverde makes a disturbingly powerful impression as the man of the house, who singles out So Young An as his partner of the moment in a dramatic duet of control, resistance, and resignation. The music is solemn, with the haunting voice of the great counter-tenor Andreas Scholl bringing a timeless feel.

Ying Xin joins the sisterhood, who have apparently been drugged into near stupor; while heavenly harmonies are heard, they seem to plan an escape but lack the strength to attempt it. The organ joins the musical soundscape, lending a curiously religious air. Mr. Villaverde returns; the women tremble in fear. Drums thunder forth, and the piece ends suddenly.

Above: Ying Xin, Marzia Memoli, and So Young An in GET UP, MY DAUGHTER; photo by Steve Pisano

Why this work affected me so deeply lies in recalling my girlfriend’s experience, of which I was unaware at the time. For three years, her father routinely raped her, her two older sisters, and her younger brother. I was aware of the extreme tension she endured living in a home with a drunken father, but I never knew about the sexual side of it until a few years later, after she had escaped and moved to Washington DC. I only knew how she clung to me in our tender, juvenile – but curiously “knowing” – love-making. Her father eventually blew his brains out.

Above: from CORTEGE 2023, with Ruchard Villaverde kneeling; photo by Steve Pisano

Equally thought-provoking this afternoon was the second darkly powerful new work, CORTEGE 2023, set to a score by Aidan Elias and choreographed by Baye & Asa. This piece spoke of the dangerous world in which we now live: scenes of violence, torture, and isolation alternate with depictions of mourning and consolation.

Chimes sound at curtain-rise as a diagonal of dancers are seen covered by a shroud, which is slowly pulled away as the dancing starts. The lighting (again by Yi-Chung Chen) flashingly isolates various tableaux of people under duress: prisoners, the interrogated, the isolated, the bereaved.

Lloyd Knight’s solo (above photo by Melissa Sherwood), set to sinister music, is riveting. Rhythmic variety, and ritualistic acts, carry the piece eerily forward. Anne O’Donnell’s solo is so expressive, and James Anthony has an opportunity to shine.

Above: Lorenzo Pagano and the ensemble; photo by Steve Pisano

Violence has become a fact of life, as indicated by a cataclysmic buildup of brass in the score. An animated quartet become a hypnotic sextet: the movement is non-stop. Deep chords invoke feelings of doom; and then, as silence falls, the vast shroud is used as a cover-up.

The afternoon ended with a spectacular performance of Martha Graham’s take on the Medea story: CAVE OF THE HEART. The Metropolitan Opera’s 2022-2023 season opened with the Met’s first-ever performance of Cherubini’s MEDEA starring the inimitable Sondra Radvanovsky, so the story is fresh in the memory.

Leslie Andrea Williams (above, in a Melissa Sherwood photo) radiated her distinctive star-power in a performance that brought the character’s double personality – abandoned lover and conniving sorceress – vividly to life. When she is not doing, she is always thinking; Leslie’s expressive face, and her eyes – ever scanning the scene for what damage she can do – are as vital to her playing of the role as her dancing.

Laurel Dalley Smith (photo above by Melissa Sherwood) gave a dazzling performance as the naive bride, basking in Jason’s attentive courting, unaware of the doom that awaits her.

Lorenzo Pagano as the proud Jason, looking to be King of Corinth whilst scorning the woman who made it all possible, pays the cost of his betrayal. His earlier show of pride, taunting Medea with his worshipful wooing of the young princess, plunges him headlong into disaster. (Photo above by Melissa Sherwood).

Presiding overall, and striving in vain to prevent the ultimate catastrophe, the marvelous Natasha S. Diamond-Walker – a Graham goddess if ever there was one – conveyed both the dignity and the anxiety of the all-knowing Chorus in perfect measure. (Photo above by Melissa Sherwood).

It surprises me that Martha Graham did not bring the children of Medea and Jason into her telling of the story. The two young boys are a key element in the Cherubini opera, wherein Medea surpasses the cruelty of murdering Jason’s betrothed by knifing the youths. She flings their bloody corpses at Jason’s feet; aghast, he asks her: “What was their crime??” to which she calmly replies: “They were your children…”

Following the performance, I went downstairs to greet and thank the dancers, and was thrilled to see again – after waaaay too long – two of my Graham idols, Blakeley McGuire and Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch.

~ Oberon

April 23, 2023
Premieres @ Graham

Sunday April 23rd, 2023 – The Martha Graham Dance Company have presented two premieres during their current season at The Joyce. I saw them both on this afternoon’s program, and I found them to be engrossing (for different reasons), with fascinating musical scores, terrific lighting, and – needless to say – spectacular dancing.

Some images have come my way, and I am posting one picture from each of the new works now, with my write-up to follow tomorrow. At the top, dancing Annie Rigney‘s GET UP, MY DAUGHTER, are Richard Villaverde and So Young An. The score, which sometimes draws on Bulgarian folk music, is by Marco Rosano.

Below, from CORTEGE 2023, choreographed by Baye and Asa to a score by Aidan Elias, are dancers James Anthony, Anne Souder, and Richard Villaverde.

Both photos are by Melissa Sherwood, courtesy of the Martha Graham Dance Company.

April 22, 2023
Graham Gala @ The Joyce ~ 2023

Above: Ying Xin of the Martha Graham Dance Company; photo by Melissa Sherwood

Author: Oberon

Thursday April 20th, 2023 – The Martha Graham Dance Company are at The Joyce for a couple of weeks, and tonight was their gala evening. The program offered Graham’s All-City Panorama and Embattled Garden book-ending three excerpts from Canticle for Innocent Comedians (choreographed by Sonya Tayeh with the individual sections by Jenn Freeman, Martha Graham, and Micaela Taylor).

All-City Panorama is a re-take on Martha Graham’s 1935 work, Panorama, which premiered at a summer retreat in Bennington, Vermont. The original Panorama was 45 minutes long, set to a score by Norman Lloyd, and was performed by student dancers, It served as a rallying call to for social change. Panorama was lost until 1992, when an early film was discovered; from this, the dancework was reconstructed by Yuriko, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 102.

Above: from All-City Panorama, photo by Rosalie Banner

Tonight’s performance boasted a large ensemble of teen-aged dancers, all clad in red (Martha Graham had designed the original costumes). Heralded by drums, they take the stage with a youthful energy that is exhilarating. Forming and re-forming in various sub-groups, they move in compelling design patterns – from runabouts to noble processions – employing classic Graham steps and gestures.

A central quintet was impressively danced, and at one point, everyone musters into a moving, stage-filling circle: a celebration of community. Following a finale filled with traveling leaps, the stage is emptied. The dancers took their bows to a vociferous ovation from the packed hall.

Janet Eilber then appeared onstage, hailing the young dancers as the future of Graham; later in the evening, the past was also honored as veteran dancers among the audience were cheered. Overall, the evening felt like a celebration of the proud continuum of the Martha Graham Dance Company, now in their 97th season. It all left me wondering if I will live to see the 100th season.

I was not impressed with Canticle for Innocent Comedians when I first saw it a year ago at City Center; but last week, I had a chance to see a studio rehearsal which made me alter my opinion. The choreography is demanding and often quite beautiful. I enjoyed it much more with the dancers in practice clothes; the costumes, while visually striking, seemed to detract from rather than enhance the movement, and they sometimes affect the dancers’ line. Tonight, the music, by pianist Jason Moran, also seemed more captivating than I remembered.

Performed this evening, a suite of excerpts from the work opened with the breath-takingly lyrical duet Moon, choreographed by Martha Graham herself – apparently the only portion of her 1952 the work to have survived more or less intact. Tonight, it was hypnotically danced by So Young An and Jacob Larsen with a gentle sensuality and a feeling of tenderness and trust.

Stars, choreographed by Michaela Taylor, was brilliantly danced by two of Company’s charismatic Italian stars, Marzia Memoli and Alessio Crognale. Their partnering is effortless, and their personalities meld persuasively to illuminate the dance.

The beauteous Ying Xin then appeared for the solo Death/Rebirth, choreographed by Jenn Freeman. This solo is a profound depiction of loneliness, and Ying Xin’s suppleness of movement – and her expressive face – made for a captivating dance experience: paradoxically draining emotionally and uplifting spiritually.

Minutes later, Ying Xin was back onstage, portraying Eve in Graham’s iconic Embattled Garden

At the same rehearsal where Innocent Comedians gave me a second look, Graham’s Embattled Garden had been danced, complete with sets and costumes. The work is always stunning to see, but up close it was simply thrilling. The cast of four must not only be dancers, but also acrobats, actors, and possessed of vibrant personalities.

Tonight, in the theatrical setting, a slightly different cast made a most powerful impression. The Noguchi sets are masterpieces in their own right, and the Carlos Surinach score seemed fresh and vivid. Ying Xin’s Eve is the epitome of feminine grace, and her partner Lloyd Knight’s Adam is magnificent both as a presence and as a mover.

Above, trouble in paradise: Leslie Andrea Williams and Lorenzo Pagano in a Hibbard Nash image

Observing Adam and Eve from his perch in a fanciful Noguchi tree is the Stranger, danced by Lorenzo Pagano; lounging in the shade, fanning herself, is Lilith, danced by Leslie Andrea Williams. These intruders in Eden are hellbent on destroying the happiness of the young couple…just because they can. Aside from the astonishing flair and virtuosity of their dancing, Leslie and Lorenzo communicate volumes with their facial expressions and especially with their ever-observant, knowing eyes. Brilliant!

~ Oberon

April 20, 2023
Graham @ The Joyce ~ 2021 – Program B

Above: Jacob Larsen of the Martha Graham Dance Company in Sir Robert Cohan’s solo Jacob; photo by Melissa Sherwood

Wednesday October 27th, 2021 – The Martha Graham Dance Company is presenting two programs at The Joyce in these final days of October, 2021. I happened to see Program B before seeing Program A.

During the long months of the pandemic, I found myself seriously missing the Graham dancers. Whenever I was down in The Village, I would walk by the Company’s home at 55 Bethune Street on the off-chance of seeing some of them, even though I knew full well that some of them had left the City. I did run into Lorenzo Pagano once, and that truly made my day. Otherwise, my only encounter with any of these fascinating people during the shutdown was via the Company’s webcasts of Immediate Tragedy in June 2020 and the three-part GrahamFest95 in May 2021.

This evening, my ‘reunion’ with the Graham Company was simply spectacular. It’s a company of stars, and they all shone tonight to dazzling effect.

Above: Leslie Andrea Williams in Steps in the Street; photo © Hibbard Nash Photography

The excellent program opened with the powerful Steps in the Street, the second movement of Martha Graham’s epic all-female anti-Facist dancework Chronicle. Set to a vibrant, martial score by Wallingford Riegger, Chronicle premiered at the Guild Theater here in New York City in December of 1936. In her introductory remarks, the Graham Company’s artistic director Janet Eilber called the work “…a dance of determination and resilience.”

Led by the ever-luminous Leslie Andrea Williams, the women back rather hesitantly onto the stage one by one in silence. As the music commences, the choreography becomes complex (both in steps and gestures); it’s extremely demanding, calling for deep dedication and boundless energy. The Graham women were simply magnificent; their individual beauty and power radiated at every moment. These are women I have admired so much in recent years: So Young An, Laurel Dally Smith, Natasha M. Diamond Walker, Marzia Memoli, Anne O’Donnell, Anne Souder, and Xin Ying…watching them flash across the stage in intricate combinations – or simply walking with tremendous dignity and strength – was an exhilarating experience. New to the Company are Devin Loh and Kate Reyes. At the center of it all, the arresting presence of Ms. Williams glowed like a beacon of feminine strength and grace.

Above: Jacob Larsen, photo by Melissa Sherwood

Sir Robert Cohan‘s solo Jacob takes its name from dancer Jacob Larsen; Sir Robert, who passed away in January of this year at the age of 95, created the work on the dancer remotely during the period of pandemic isolation. Set to Nils Frahm’s Hammers, the dance opens with pulsating music as the dancer, clad in dark trousers and a wife-beater tee-shirt, does a run-about the finely-lit space, pausing from time to time in a pose with arms outstretched.

Mr. Larsen’s dancing filled the space with the choreographer’s finely-cratfted movement, his face handsome and expressive. Thrice he collapsed to his knees and then magically executed back-somersaults. Combining energy and artistry expertly, the danseur gave a compelling performance. During the solo’s final moments, danced in silence in the fading light, one could sense the audience’s pent up admiration building; and when the lights came up, Jacob was greeted with a great wave of applause and bravos, so richly deserved. “A star is born!”, I scrawled in my program.

Above: Natasha M. Diamond-Walker and Lloyd Mayor in Untitled (Souvenir); photo by Melissa Sherwood

I was very pleased to see Pam Tanowitz’s Untitled (Souvenir) again. I saw it twice during its premiere performance run in 2019 and had different (but all positive) feelings about it at each viewing. Caroline Shaw’s score was again a key element to my enjoyment of the piece: with elements of Americana, British Baroque, and an echo of hymn “The Lord Is Our Great Shepherd” all brilliantly woven together by the composer. The Graham dancers all looked fabulous in their costumes by Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin of TOME.

This time around, Untitled (Souvenir) summoned up for me images of an English garden party sometime in the early days of the 20th century, when Art Deco was all the rage in Europe. Anne O’Donnell and Marzia Memoli are onstage for the work’s silent opening; Marzia unfolds into a beautiful arabesque and then the dancing starts: witty, but very much tongue-in-cheek. Other dancers now arrive: Lloyd Mayor, striking in lounging pajamas; the tall beauty Natasha Diamond-Walker; Lloyd Knight hopping on; the distinctive (and glamorously gowned) Xin Ying; Jacob Larsen (looking fresh after his brilliant solo performance); and Laurel Dalley Smith, who I always love to watch.

Everyone strikes poses, frequently ignoring the other guests. I was particularly taken with Natasha Diamond-Walker’s ‘character’: her spotlit, silent solo displayed the many mood shifts of a woman at once alluring and insecure. At one point, she even hid behind a piece of scenery…which is something I would do at a party.

There are duets, fleeting suggestions of romance, a trio of men in the cross-currents of mutual interests. In all, the work is a delight. And again, I must praise Caroline Shaw’s wonderful score, with cunningly accented motifs and a lambent cello solo. Iconic Graham moves and gestures pop up, getting a fresh take in Ms. Tanowitz’s choreography.

Above: Marzia Memoli and Lloyd Kinght in Treading; photo by Melissa Sherwood

Following the interval, Elisa Monte’s duet work, Treading, was stunningly danced by Lloyd Knight and Marzia Memoli. These two gorgeous creatures gave their all in a steamy, intimate pairing which demands great strength and control…and perfect timing. In their sleek body tights, Marzia and Lloyd generated a hothouse atmosphere, holding the audience in rapt attentiveness as their bodies folded and snaked thru the slow partnering motifs.

Lloyd (above, in a Brian Pollock photo) was mesmerizing to behold right from his opening solo…

…and Marzia created incredible shapes (Melissa Sherwood’s photo above), and her lush back-bend was a stunning moment. For me, Marzia’s was another ‘star is born’ performance tonight, and the audience seemed in full agreement.

Above: Marzia and Lloyd in Treading; photo by Melissa Sherwood

Treading drew a huge response from the audience, and Ms. Monte joined the dancers onstage for a bow. Roses and champagne to Marzia and Lloyd for their breathtaking performance!

Above: Anne O’Donnell and Lloyd Mayor in Diversion of Angels; photo by Luis Luque

Diversion of Angels had its premiere at Connecticut College in August of 1948. This ballet is set to a wonderful romantic score by Norman Dello Joio; in it, three couples dance duets reflecting on different aspects of love. A Couple in Red embodies passionate love; a Couple in White, mature love; and a Couple in Yellow, the joys of young, flirtatious love.

Diversion is one of the Graham ballets that places extraordinary demands on all the dancers in the cast. So Young An, Devin Loh, Kate Reyes, and Anne Souder formed a lovely ensemble, their dancing filled with commitment, beauty, and energy. At one point, they are seated on the floor, gazing ardently into the eyes of their cavaliers: a very romantic moment in this ultra-romantic ballet. A newcomer to Graham, Richard Villaverde, made his mark with his handsome presence and deft dancing.

The three couples were splendid, each in their own way. Leslie Andrea Williams, a vision in White, danced like a goddess, and her partner, Alessio Crognale, was equally impressive. Together, they expressed the couple’s deep sense of quiet ecstasy, secure in their mutual love.

Anne O’Donnell looks fetching in Red, and she had the perfect partner in Lloyd Mayor. Their dancing, both individually and in duet passages, was vibrant and wonderfully true to the music. At one point, while Lloyd was elsewhere, Anne seems to be tempting Alessio; that’s the thing about passionate lovers: their passion can get directed in a different direction at the drop of a hat.

Laurel Dalley Smith was like a ray of sunshine in Yellow; Jacob Larsen completed his stellar evening as Laurel’s cavalier. Their choreography includes some daredevil catches and lifts: Laurel flew like a golden bird into Jacob’s arms and was swiftly swept aloft. Brilliant! I just loved watching them, and I must say that Laurel’s performance had the same ‘star-is-born’ feeling as Jacob’s and Marzia’s…the third in a single evening.

And what an evening it was…it stands as one of the great dance performances I have witnessed in the last quarter-century. Although tinged with regret for two ‘missing persons’ – who I hope are both well along on the road to recovery – the evening was made memorable by the unstinting generosity and mind-boggling talent of these unique and extraordinary dancers.

~ Oberon

October 27, 2021
GrahamDeconstructed: Steps in the Street

Above: Anne Souder of the Martha Graham Dance Company in Graham’s Steps in the Street; photo by Elisabeth Atjay

~ Oberon

Tuesday September 24th, 2019 – Kicking off their season of studio presentations, the Martha Graham Dance Company tonight gave us an up-close look at Steps in the Street, the second movement of Graham’s powerful and thrilling larger work, Chronicle. It was premiered in New York City on December 20th, 1936, and stands as the choreographer’s glorious response to the rise of Facism. As such, it resonates today when democracy is under threat from forces within our beloved country.

It was in 2012, at an invitation-only studio rehearsal of Chronicle at Joyce SoHo, that I fell under the spell of Martha Graham. I was only slightly familiar with her work at that time, but on that afternoon, I fell in love with not only the choreography but with the dancers, both as a collective and as individuals. Over the ensuing years, the roster of artists has inevitably changed; but my feelings have not. The current Graham ensemble fascinates me every time I see them.

Steps in the Street, which was considered a “lost” work for several years, was reconstructed in 1989 by Yuriko and Martha Graham, relying on a miraculously-discovered Julian Bryan film as a starting point.

On this absolutely beautiful end-of-Summer evening, my choreographer-friend Claudia Schreier and I went down to the Graham homespace on the 11th floor of 55 Bethune Street for Steps in the Street. We were totally prepared to be blown away, and that’s exactly what happened.

Brief excerpts from the old black-and-white film of Steps in the Street were being shown as we took our seats. Later, the Graham Company’s Artistic Director Janet Eilber used passages of this film as an introduction to the various movement motifs, which were then performed by the current ensemble of Graham women. Thus does this intriguing ballet grow from an opening passage of individual dancers walking backwards in silent, pensive poses slowly transform itself from a state of “Devastation – Homelessness – Exile” into a community of feminine determination.

During the presentation, projections of drawings being spontaneously created by artist Sohyun Bae were shown; working with ambidextrous haste, the artist produced a series of pictures which did not attempt to literally depict the choreography, but rather to reflect the artist’s emotional response to the dancing and the music.

A complete performance of Steps in the Street was then given. Leading the ensemble, Anne Souder, a lithe dancer of marvelous suppleness and intrinsic mystique, was spellbinding. Each of the ten women of the ‘corps de ballet‘ was able to display her unique gifts as an expressive artist whilst maintaining the stylized unity of the collective. The performance was simply fascinating to behold.

Alongside Ms. Souder, the participating dancers were So Young An, Alyssa Cybulski, Laurel Dalley Smith, Natasha M. Diamond-Walker, Charlotte Landreau, Marzia Memoli, Anne O’Donnell, Aoi Sato, Androniki Vasili, and Leslie Andrea Williams. They left me feeling both elated and hopeful.

Photos by Elisabeth Atjay from this evening’s studio presentation of Steps in the Street:

Anne Souder; in the background, a projection of Sohyun Bae’s spontaneous drawing

Walking in silence: Anne Souder in the foreground

The ensemble, with Ms. Souder in the foreground

The final moments of Steps in the Street

~ Oberon

September 24, 2019
Lubovitch’s LEGEND OF TEN @ Martha Graham

Above: Abdiel Cedric Jacobsen and Anne Souder of the Martha Graham Dance Company; photo by Nir Arieli

~ Author: Oberon

Friday November 17th, 2017 – The renowned choreographer Lar Lubovitch will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his Company in the coming Spring when the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company will perform two programs at the Joyce Theater from April 17th through April 22nd, 2018. Joining in the celebration, the dancers of the Martha Graham Dance Company will perform the Lubovitch masterpiece LEGEND OF TEN, set to Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F minor; the Lubovitch Company premiered this work in 2010.

This afternoon, photographer Nir Arieli and I stopped by at the Graham Studios at Westbeth to watch a rehearsal of LEGEND OF TEN. The Graham dancers are the crème de la crème of the dance world: in their combination of athleticism and artistry, they have few rivals. On top of that, they’re all really nice people. So any chance to be in their presence has a special meaning for me.

I’ve seen LEGEND OF TEN three times in the past, danced by the Lubovitch Company. Yet today, I was struck afresh by its power and beauty. Taking wing on the Brahms score, LEGEND sends the dancers swirling thru dynamic movement that melds ballet motifs with elements of folk dance.

In the course of today’s rehearsal, Mr. Lubovitch did quite a bit of dancing himself as he demonstrated for the Graham dancers. Assisting Mr. Lubovitch was Kate Skarpetowska – an estimable choreographer in her own right who has danced with the Lubovitch Company and is intimately familiar with his work.

Here’s a gallery of Nir Arieli’s images from this afternoon:

From left: Ben Schultz, Anne O’Donnell, Kate Skarpetowska, So Young An, Leslie Andrea Williams, Lorenzo Pagano

Abdiel Cedric Jacobsen, Anne Souder, and Kate Skarpetowska

Watching a film of LEGEND with Mr. Lubovitch

Lar Lubovitch coaching Abdiel and Anne Souder in a duet passage

Anne Souder and Anne O’Donnell

Leslie Andrea Williams

So Young An

Lorenzo Pagano

Ari Mayzick, Anne O’Donnell

Abdiel Cedric Jacobsen

Ecstatic moment

Abdiel with Anne Souder: pas de deux…continued below…

Ensemble: Ari, Ben, Lorenzo, Laurel Dalley Smith, Leslie

Leslie Andrea Williams

Abdiel and Anne Souder

Leslie Andrea Williams

Many thanks to Denise Vale of the Graham Company for helping to arrange today’s studio visit, and also to Janet Eilber, publicist Janet Stapleton, to Mr. Lubovitch and Ms. Skarpetowska for letting us eavesdrop on their process, and – of course – to the phenomenal dancers. And although they weren’t dancing today, it was great to catch up briefly with Ying Xin and The Lloyds: Knight and Mayor.

All photos by Nir Arieli.

~ Oberon

November 18, 2017
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui @ Martha Graham Dance Co

Above: members of The Martha Graham Dance Company at a studio showing of MOSAIC, a new work being created for the Company by choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui; photo by Brigid Pierce. MOSAIC will premiere during the upcoming Graham season at The Joyce, which opens on February 14th. Details and tickets here.

On January 11th, 2017, friends of Graham gathered at the Company’s homespace at Westbeth on Bethune Street for a first look at the new Cherkaoui piece. This is my fourth time experiencing this choreographer’s work: in 2009, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet premiered Larbi’s ORBO NOVO; in 2010, his SUTRA was performed as part of the White Lights Festival; and this past Summer, HARBOR ME was performed at the Joyce by LA Dance Project.

MOSAIC is danced to a score by Felix Buxton; the choreography has a sultry, swaying, Middle Eastern feel. Without giving away more than that, I will only say the Graham dancers look sexy as ever in this provocative style. It was really great seeing Jason Kittelberger, an iconic dancer with the late, lamented Cedar Lake Company; Jason is Larbi’s choreographic assistant for MOSAIC and he introduced the work this evening.

Here are a some images from the showing of MOSAIC; the photographer is Brigid Pierce:

Anne Souder

Leslie Andrea Williams, Lorenzo Pagano, Anne Souder, Lloyd Mayor

Lorenzo Pagano

Anne Souder, Lloyd Mayor

Anne Souder, Lloyd Mayor

In addition to MOSAIC, the repertoire for the upcoming Graham season at The Joyce features a premiere by Annie-B Parsons, recent works by Nacho Duato and Pontus Lidberg, a revival of Martha Graham’s PRIMITIVE MYSTERIES, as well as Graham classics MAPLE LEAF RAG, DARK MEADOW SUITE, DIVERSION OF ANGELS, and CLYTEMNESTRA Act II.

I’m hoping to get to a studio rehearsal before the season at The Joyce begins.

January 23, 2017
Graham Winter Intensive Showcase

Friday January 15th, 2016 – Tadej Brdnik invited me to a showcase performance today at the Martha Graham Dance Company‘s home space on Bethune Street where participants in the Graham 2016 Winter Intensive showed a standing-room-only crowd what they’d been working on for the past three weeks.

Following some solo composition studies and repertory excerpts, presented by the Graham school’s Yung Yung Tsui and Lone Larsen, choreographer Joshua Beamish had a group of male and female students demonstrate how dance can be developed from a single phrase. Maxine Sherman then presented several women in an excerpt from CAVE OF THE HEART; this solo was danced by the girls in unison and in canon.

The male contingent from the Intensive then appeared for CELEBRATION, a 1934 work which Graham set to music by Louis Horst. Graham originally created CELEBRATION with an all-female cast; Tadej has now been tasked with re-working it for a male ensemble. Fifteen men danced it today; it’s a very dynamic piece, showing Graham’s customary skill in structuring movement to achieve the maximum effect. Tadej mentioned that the choreography includes approximately 400 jumps, putting it into a special category alongside David Parsons’ CAUGHT.

Among the dancers today, both male and female, some showed great promise.

I always love being at Graham events, and was so happy to see – in addition to Tadej and Joshua – Denise Vale, Blakeley White-McGuire, Ying Xin, future maman Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch, Abdiel Cedric Jacobsen, and Lloyd Knight.

I had planned to take lots of photos, but latecomers arrived and took seats to my immediate right, and I didn’t want to disturb them with my camera. So I have only the one image (at the top) of a dancer in her composition study at the start of the presentation.

January 15, 2016
Preview: Mats Ek’s AXE @ Martha Graham

Wednesday October 14th, 2015 – The Martha Graham Dance Company premiered Mats Ek’s AXE at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in August 2015, and will give the work’s New York premiere at NY City Center in April 2016 as part of the Company’s 90th Anniversary celebration. This evening, friends and fans of the Graham Company gathered for a studio preview of the Ek duet, which was danced by Company principals Ben Schultz (above) and PeiJu Chien-Pott (below).

These studio events at the Graham homespace at Westbeth on Bethune Street are a great bonus for the Company’s many avid followers: whether introducing us to a new work or delving into explorations of the established classics of the Graham repertoire, we are given an opportunity to experience the works in an intimate setting and have an insider’s look at the creative or re-creative process. And of course there is also the genuine thrill of encountering the phenomenal Graham dancers at close range.

The staged version of AXE is based on a work Ek originally created on film. It is an intense domestic-drama duet which revolves around a man splitting wood, observed by his long-time mate. Layered in subtle sheets of emotion, the work takes on a profound quality that transcends the physical action. In a stroke of genius, Ek sets the duet to music of Tomaso Albinoni, giving it a timeless quality.

Janet Eilber, the Graham Company’s artistic director, spoke of her long-held desire to have an Ek work in the Company’s repertoire, and of how it came to pass, thru chance and persistence. In brief, four Graham dancers – PeiJu Chien-Pott, Anne O’Donnell, Ben Schultz, and Lloyd Knight – traveled to Sweden where the choreographer worked with them to transform his film into a live dancework. The result is nothing less than extraordinary.

Prior to showing us a full run-thru of the work, Ms. Eilber queried the four dancers about their experience of working with the choreographer who, it seems, was both detail-oriented and enigmatic. PeiJu and Ben then demonstrated key phrases from the ballet before presenting an absolutely stunning ‘performance’ of AXE that literally gave me goosebumps.

AXE will be a must-see ballet when the Company celebrate their 90th anniversary at City Center in April 2016. It fits superbly into the Graham repertoire, and dance-lovers owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Eilber for having secured it for us.

PeiJu Chien-Pott (above) heralds the coming season…I cannot wait!

October 14, 2015
In Performance: GRAHAM 2

Friday May 29th, 2015 – The young dancers of Graham 2 in performance at the Martha Graham Dance Company’s home space at Westbeth on Bethune Street in the West Village. It was rather stuffy in the theatre, and there were distractions of latecomers wandering in during the dancing. But it was a very impressive performance overall, and several of the participating dancers seemed poised to emerge as successful Graham artists in the seasons ahead.

Beginning in a circle of light, Dani Stringer performed the elegant solo à l’espagnole, SERENATA MORISCA. In a billowy skirt, wearing ankle bells and with a peony in her hair, Dani seemed eminently at home in this liltingly lovely dance, to atmospheric music by Mario Tarenghi. Premiered in 1916 (!) the solo looks absolutely fresh and au courante today. Two photos of Dani dancing the Serenata were offered to me – each captures her so well that I decided to include both:

Above, photo by Brigid Pierce

Above, photo by Antonia K Miranda

HERETIC dates from 1929 and is one of Graham’s most powerful works. It alludes to the outcasts that are found in every culture, race, and religious affiliation. I’ve now seen it a few times and it’s a resonant work, with a stop-and-start score arranged by Charles de Sivy from an old Breton chanson.

Above: from HERETIC, with Jessica Sgambelluri and the Graham 2 ensemble; photo by Antonia K Miranda

Jessica Sgambelluri gave a powerful performance as the scorned woman, constantly subjugated by the implacable sisterhood who move almost mechanically into positions of closing ranks around the hapless victim. At times they seem to be praying for the woman’s redemption, but they remain sternly rejecting, even threatening.

Above: Ms. Sgambelluri and the ensemble in HERETIC; photo by Antonia K Miranda

Anja Zwetti (above, in Antonia K Miranda’s photo) took on the iconic Graham solo LAMENTATION and made a strong impression as she performed this ‘dance of sorrows’ seated on a bench and wrapped in a shroud of purple jersey. The Kodaly piano score gives the dancer her movement cues, and the lighting provides a shadow-dance that gives the work an added ghostliness. Ms. Zwetti held the audience in a state of keen focus throughout the solo. I had the feeling that several in the crowd were seeing LAMENTATION for the first time, and were deeply moved by the experience.

Above: Anja Zwetti in LAMENTATION, photo by Antonia K Miranda.

A selection from NIGHT CHANT followed, re-staged by the inimitable Virginie Mécène. This late Graham work (1988) is set to an exotic score by R Carlos Nikai and features a large ensemble of both male and female dancers who move in signature Graham motifs; it is an homage to the culture of the Native Americans, depicting the rituals of their community.

The women (above, photo by Brigid Pierce) appear variously in large or small movement units while the men, sexy in sleek tights, are given dynamic leaps and cartwheels. NIGHT CHANT features a central pas de deux couple: tonight we had the charismatic Dani Stinger and Alex Clayton giving a fluent performance.

Above: the ensemble in TURNING POINT, photo by Antonia K Miranda

In its world premiere performances, TURNING POINT by Blanca Li was a striking addition to the Graham 2 repertory. Thirteen dancers, clad in black trousers, first appear standing in place; they remain on their marks as individual solos, disconnected duets, and mini ensembles spring up almost randomly. They fall and rise in various combinations, and then there’s a walkabout before they re-group. They disappear and re-enter in a diagonal, with more floor time and passages of gestural language. Suddenly the dancers rush about the space; a female duet ensues, and then a female trio takes up a counter-dance. Silence falls, and the full ensemble appear in a cluster swaying gently as the light fades.

Tao Guttierez’s wonderful score shows us a contemporary composer unafraid of melodic appeal; the dancers did a great job with this piece, which afforded many individual opportunities. I hope to have a chance to see TURNING POINT again.

Above: Jessica Sgambelluri in TURNING POINT; photo by Brigid Pierce.

Above: Stylianos Kefalas in TURNING POINT; photo by Brigid Pierce

Following the interval, more Graham classics to be savoured, beginning with the 1936 all-female ensemble work STEPS IN THE STREET, the central section of Graham’s visionary anti-war trilogy CHRONICLE.

Dani Stinger (above, photo by Brigid Pierce) led the ensemble with an impressive sense of mission…

…while the ensemble (above, Brigid Pierce photo) moved compellingly thru the stylized demands the choreography places on them. My hope for these young dancers – both the women and the men – is that they will be instilled not only with Graham’s dance technique but also with her work ethic and philosophy of life.

Anne Souder appeared next in the signature green-black-white-yellow dress that says: SATYRIC FESTIVAL SONG. This is Graham at her most witty, and Ms. Souder did an excellent job of it, with her quirky leaps, wiggles, and sudden posed stops; her hair also became part of her performance. I unfortunately don’t have a photo of Anne Souder in this solo but moments later she was back onstage for DIVERSION OF ANGELS and here she shone ever-brighter.

Above: Anne Souder in DIVERSION OF ANGELS; photo by Brigid Pierce

In the concluding DIVERSION OF ANGELS (1948, to a Norman Dello Joio score), Ms. Souder displayed a soaring extension and rock-steady balances, along with a stage-hungry aspect that gave each moment of her performance an inspiring glow. The dancing by everyone, in fact, was really impressive. The men gave their passages a high-energy verve – will they make the leap to the top Graham echelon? Let’s hope so, because the courage and conviction are there: in addition to Alex Clayton, we had Alessio Crognale, Antonio Cangiano, and Stylianos Kefalas all doing handsome work. Sharing the spotlight with Ms. Souder in the ballet’s principal female roles were Anja Zwetti (lyrical in White) and Vera Paganin (lively in Yellow). Sarita Apel and Linda Bombelli joined Jessica Sgambelluri and Dani Stinger for some fine dancing in the supporting female quartet.

Lovely to see Graham luminaries Natasha Diamond-Walker and Lorenzo Pagano among the crowd, and my special thanks to Janet Stapleton for arranging things and for sending me the production photos with perfect timing.

May 29, 2015