CONWAY — The Martha Graham Dance Company took a Conway audience down dance memory lane in a guided theatrical tour of the celebrated choreographer’s life Tuesday night, proving that pieces created generations ago still resonate in the modern world.
The Conway Symphony Orchestra provided a superb musical accompaniment to several featured pieces from Graham’s 70-year career. It would be all too easy to write off Graham’s works as tired, antiquated pieces that don’t hold the same revolutionary thrill that they did generations ago. But it would be false, as the company she created 85 years ago keeps forging ahead with her urgency and vision.
Janet Eilber, artistic director of the Martha Graham Dance Company, narrated the concert, which began with a montage of pieces from the Denishawn era, where Graham had her roots. A trio of dancers performed excerpts from The Incense, “Gnossienne” and “Tanagra,” distinctly mannered character pieces that served in stark contrast for the work to come.
A solo, “Serenata Morisca,” followed. The piece, first performed in 1916, built to a frenetic and frantic pace with principal dancer Blakeley White-McGuire’s fiery presence commanding the stage.
But it was “Lamentation,” Graham's signature solo piece performed in a shroud of fabric, that elicited strong reaction from the audience, certainly her intent. The dance, with its sparse and angular choreography, was performed with conviction and clarity by principal Katherine Crockett, who poured every ounce of herself into the contract and release movement pioneered by Graham in revolt to the style of Denishawn.
Not just a concert, the performance included archival footage of Graham performing the piece herself, as well as photographs from her earliest works.
Closing out the first act were two ensemble pieces, “Steps in the Street” and “Diversion of Angels,” the latter featuring three intricate pas de deux dances and the most creative cartwheels in history.
The highlight was certainly “Steps in the Street,” which didn't feel like a dusted-off relic from 1936. Punctuated by athletic, quick jumps and strict traveling formations, Graham's commentary on devastation and homelessness is as fresh and urgent now as before World War II, when Graham refused to dance at the Olympics in Berlin.
The second act began with more recent works inspired by “Lamentation” and performed in New York for the September 11 anniversary in 2007. The creations, when seen amid Graham's greatness, didn't quite match the level of her artistry, although the first variation came close to capturing the ethos.
The final dance of the evening was the heralded “Appalachian Spring,” with composition by Aaron Copland. Performed with precision and a certain amount of pluck, the dance from 1944 that exalts "American living" brought the audience to its feet. A standout performance by principal Maurizio Nardi as The Preacher was charismatic and technically perfect.
The one-night performance at Reynolds Performance Hall was part of University of Central Arkansas' Public Appearances.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 10/12/2011