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Brilliant isn't too big a word for famed dancer and choreographer Martha Graham (1894-1991). The mother of modern dance, as a young woman she shook up the dance establishment with the new, uniquely American dance idiom she created. It was strikingly different from the smooth, traditional European model because its movements were infused with the raw power of emotion.
Graham was not only a creative genius but also a talented teacher who nurtured many other dancer-choreographers, including Alvin Alley, Merce Cunningham and Twyla Tharp. She was as determined as a mentor as she was in her desire to express her artistic vision. "Great dancers are not great because of their technique," she said, "they are great because of their passion."
Though she died in 1991, The Martha Graham Dance Company she founded in 1926 continues to present her works to new audiences. Among the most famous of them is the classic "Appalachian Spring" (1944). Composer Aaron Copeland (another genius) wrote his striking score especially for it. The work premiered at the Library of Congress.
The Martha Graham Dance Company performs its stunning "Appalachian Spring," and other works associated with Martha Graham, at Fairfield University's Quick Center on November 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35-$45. A post-show Art-to-Heart Q & A with the company follows the performance, after which the audience is invited to join the company at a reception in the lobby, celebrating the the Center's 20th anniversary. For more information, visit the Quick Center's website.
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