The Legend is Back! Martha Graham Dance Company

The Timeless Works of Martha Graham. 

Lene van Alten

This year, Holland Dance Festival and Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam have welcomed  back the Martha Graham Dance Company to the Netherlands. Martha Graham was one of the most iconic and influential dancers/choreographers in the 20th century. She is called the founder of American Modern Dance.

To celebrate her legacy the program existed out of the political piece: Chronicles (1936), her last work: Maple Leaf Rag (1990), a re-imagined solo: Ekstasis (1933) and a view of American choreographers on Lamentation (variations 2007).

The whole performance was spectacular. I went in with high expectations but they managed to rise above them. You have to imagine the time when Chronicles was first performed. A war ready to start and strong woman dancing on bare feet, telling a story about war. All the movements seemed to have such great meaning. The emotional power in simple movements was the most impressive thing. 

To see choreographers from now give new life to the old works of Graham was amazing. It is like a preview on how a company could survive without its creator. They showed three modest but strong variations of Lamentation and it gave a nice picture of what the future of the company could look like. 

The Graham dancers performed so well. Their movement quality was extraordinary. They are able to do very difficult movement (without is seeming to be difficult) and then giving it meaning with the underlying emotions. Ekstasis gives a great example of a Graham piece with great quality on beautiful music and purity in the emotions. 

  

In Maple Leaf Rag Graham intended it to be not too serious. She played with her own iconic movements in a way that it was not exaggerated which made it a very light and enjoyable piece. She made fun of herself, looking back on her life and apparently that is a great formula for a last piece you’ll ever make.

Overall it was a phenomenal performance. Martha’s works have proven to be legendary and timeless. If you ever get the chance watch to the company perform I would really recommend you go.

Date,theater: 13/feb/2018, Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg. Company: Martha Graham Dance Company. Main Choreographer: Martha Graham. Lamentation Variations: various choreographers.