The haunting solo dance Lamentation was premiered by Martha Graham in 1930.
Graham recalled to the dance Lamentation, “One of the first times I performed it was in Brooklyn. A lady came back to me afterwards and looked at me. She was very white faced and she’d obviously been crying. She said ‘you’ll never know what you have done for me tonight, thank you’ and left. I asked about her later and it seemed that she had seen her 9 year old son killed in front of her by a truck. She had made every effort to cry, but was unable to. But when she saw Lamentation she said she felt that grief was honorable and universal and that she should not be ashamed of crying for her son. I remember that story as a deep story in my life that made me realize that there is always one person to whom you speak in the audience. One.”
I believe in the work Lamentation, Graham showed her true feeling of sorrow and regret. When she began to dance, she was not only acting, but also communicating with the world. For me, this is also the most impressive art work.
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ReplyDeleteAfter watching this video, I understand that Martha Graham’s impact on dance was staggering and often compared to that of Picasso’s on painting, Stravinsky’s on music, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s on architecture. Her contributions transformed the art form, revitalizing and expanding dance around the world.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this video, I understand that Martha Graham’s impact on dance was staggering and often compared to that of Picasso’s on painting, Stravinsky’s on music, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s on architecture. Her contributions transformed the art form, revitalizing and expanding dance around the world.
ReplyDeleteI love being moved emotionally by dance. It proves to me again and again that I can find myself in both the dancers on the stage and within the choreographers themselves. I believe that all dance can speak to at least one person that watches it and can change their lives, and that is a good of a reason as any to continue to put work out there.
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