Published on Sep 9, 2015

Rating:

Genre: NCPA

Dates: November 6-7, 2015

Venue: Drama Theatre of NCPA

Prices: 180, 300, 420, 500, 580, 680

Features: This special program will bring audiences new ways to consider the artistic contributions of three geniuses of 20th Century art – the choreographer, Martha Graham, the artist Pablo Picasso, and the composer, Igor Stravinsky.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Martha Graham -- Choreographer
Martha Graham is recognized as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Her groundbreaking style grew from her experimentation with the elemental movements of contraction and release. By focusing on the basic activities of the human form, she enlivened the body with raw, electric emotion. The sharp, angular, and direct movements of her technique were a dramatic departure from the predominant style of the time. Graham created 181 dance compositions during her long and illustrious career. During the Bicentennial she was granted the United States’ highest civilian honor, The Medal of Freedom. In 1998, TIME Magazine named her the “Dancer of the Century.” Martha Graham's revolutionary vision and artistic mastery has had a deep and lasting impact on American art and culture. Her bold use of socially infused subjects and emotionally charged performances single-handedly defined contemporary dance as a uniquely American art form, which the nation has in turn shared with the world.

Martha Graham Dance Company
Described by The Washington Post as “one of the seven wonders of the artistic universe” and by The New York Times as “one of the great companies of the world,” Martha Graham Dance Company is one of the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance companies on the planet.

The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a leader in the development of contemporary dance since its founding in 1926. Informed by the expansive vision of its founder, pioneering choreographer Martha Graham, the Company brings to life a timeless and uniquely American style of dance that has influenced generations of artists and continues to captivate audiences. Graham and her Company have expanded contemporary dance’s vocabulary of movement and forever altered the scope of the art form by with works rooted in contemporary social, political and psychological contexts.

About the Play
This special program will bring audiences new ways to consider the artistic contributions of three geniuses of 20th Century art – the choreographer, Martha Graham, the artist Pablo Picasso, and the composer, Igor Stravinsky. Each of these artists was responsible for dynamic and radical change in their art forms. The performance will offer a selection of dances enhanced with short narration, media, and music which will allow audiences to make fresh connections to the great artistic discoveries of these renown artists.

Chronicle
Chronicle premiered in New York on December 20, 1936. The dance was a response to the menace of fascism in Europe and is performed by twelve women. Earlier that year, Graham had refused an invitation to take part in the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, and her concern with the Civil War in Spain is evident in her work of the time. Chronicle is not a realistic depiction of events. The intent is to universalize the tragedy of war. The dance has a score by Wallingford Riegger and is divided into three sections: “Spectre 1914,” “Steps in the Street” and “Prelude to Action.”

Deep Song
Deep Song is a solo Graham created for herself that premiered in New York in 1937. Set to music by Henry Cowell, the dance was composed in response to the Spanish Civil War. According to the original program notes, “the forms of the dance – its swirls, crawls on the floor, contractions and falls – are kinetic experiences of the human experiences in war. . . It is the anatomy of anguish from tragic events.” The tragedy of Spain is universalized through the choreography.

Lamentation Variations
Lamentation Variations is an ongoing creative project for the Graham Company and one that may also provide a deeper connection for Chinese audiences. In performance, the audience sees the film of Martha Graham dancing a section of Lamentation, and three Variations are performed.

The Rite of Spring
The program will close with one of Martha Graham’s greatest works, The Rite of Spring. Performed by seventeen dancers, this new production was revived in April of 2013 and has never been seen in China. With this final work on the program, the audience will recognize similar themes, inspirations and techniques in the work of Graham, Picasso and Stravinsky.

Tickets for Three Geniuses of 20th Century Art: Martha Graham Dance Company are Available now!