Martha Graham
Acting
Biography
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide.
Born: May 11, 1894
Place of Birth: Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA
Known For
The Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture.
A Dancer's World
A glimpse into the world and methodology of dancer Martha Graham.
Frontier
A dance piece celebrating western expansion and the american spirit
Appalachian Spring
A multi-character dance drama. A newlywed pioneer couple, guided by a reverent Revivalist and the wise Pioneer Woman, joyously celebrate their life on the American frontier - dancing, courting, and sharing “Simple Gifts” - only to be shaken by the threat of war before finding solace and communal hope in a final hymn-like gathering.
Night Journey
Night Journey, the dance, had its premiere only two and a half years after Appalachian Spring, and it is a close cousin. It too has a stream-of-consciousness narration: Jocasta, as she is about to kill herself, remembering what has happened to her. It too contains soul-delving solos, broken up by ensemble dances. Here, however, the ensemble is a darker element. As the story was taken from Greek tragedy, so the corps is the equivalent of Greek tragedy’s chorus. They tell us how to feel: afraid mostly. In this piece Graham pushed her habitual economy to its limits.
Lamentation
A silent color film of Martha Graham dancing extracts of "Lamentation".
Heretic
Heretic is a modern dance work by Martha Graham performed to Tetus Breton, an old folk tune from Brittany.
Appalachian Spring
A filmed version of Aaron Copland's most famous ballet, with its original star, who also choreographed.
Anaïs Nin Observed
In this documentary Anais Nin is shown at work, at home, and talking with and about her influences: D.H. Lawrence, Otto Rank, Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell, Martha Graham, Noguchi, Kenneth Anger, Maya Daren, Edmund Wilson, Lou Andreas-Salome and others.
Martha Graham: Dance on Film
One of the great artistic forces of the 20th century, performer, choreographer, and teacher Martha Graham influenced dance around the world. Criterion presents a showcase of her impressive artistry, all in collaboration with television arts programming pioneer Nathan Kroll.
Filmography
as Self
as Narrator
as Self
as Queen Jocasta
as The Wife
as Self
as The Bride
as Herself