MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

Martha Graham’s soul was surely soaring as her company celebrated its 100th Anniversary year at City Center.  The entire evening showcased her influence on the modern dance world… two iconic masterpieces, beginning with Diversion of Angels (1948) and ending with the heart wrenching Chronicle (1936). These two works from the past framed two contemporary works: To the Brink and Back by Jamar Roberts, and EN MASSE by Hope Boykin.

Besides being an artistic genius, Graham was an educator. She created her own unique technique which lasts today around the world, demanding the human body to find extremes in physicality, and deeply connected to emotion. Her commitment to an educational ethic is embodied today by Artistic Director Janet Eilber, soft spoken but dynamic, clear, and honest…she welcomes and  speaks to the audience before the performance, describing each work and its history with the company.  Old and young audiences are invited to collaborate and to feel.  Graham’s legacy is moving forward.

Diversion of Angels (1948) a nineteen minute work about love, showcased three women; one in yellow, (Marzia Memoli) dancing youthful love; one in red, (So Young An) embodying flirtatious, passionate love; and a woman in white, (Ann Souder) demonstrating mature, balanced love. A thoughtful, provocative work about the human heart. 

A world premiere To the Brink and Back by Jamar Roberts, danced by Graham veteran soloist Lloyd Knight, featured live composer/ percussionist Stahv Danker on stage. He begins gently with the sound of a rain stick as Knight enters slowly on a diagonal, darkly lit, bare chested, in black iridescent leggings. The music evolves to cymbals as he twists and turns his torso onto drumming when he balances, turns, and lunges. Dance and music then re-wind, ending with the sound of the rain stick and Knight walking backwards at his entrance. Roberts writes: “Through unrelenting tenacity, lies the quiet violence of transformation.” This dance, perhaps an homage to the longevity of Knight as a Graham dancer, did not demand quite enough of this incredible performer.

Hope Boykin’s EN MASSE (2026) featured seven dancers in shades of blue costumes (Karen Young), dancing in small vignettes to Christopher Rountree’s brilliantly re-imagined Mass (1971) by Leonard Bernstein. Live vocals, and jazz trumpeting, soared into commanding melodies. The dancers formed community, then broke away employing a gorgeous, contemporary use of the company, but the dance has yet to find an emotional truth. Talent and artistic endeavor aside, it is a challenge to hold one’s own onstage next to the choreography of the giant, Martha Graham.

Chronicle (1936) evoked most of the emotion of the evening. How could it not? Graham’s dismay and her scream of anguish and dread in this anti-war dance, is as relevant today as when she created it during the Nazi regime. Spectre, Steps in the Street, and Prelude to Action impeccably performed, with dramatic music by Wallingford Riegger, warned us all of the futility of war and man’s inhumanity to man.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Mary Seidman

***Photos by Melissa Sherwood and Steven Pisano