Above: Esteban Santamaría in Martha Graham's Dark Meadow Suite; photo by Melissa Sherwood
Thursday June 9th, 2022 - Down to the Martha Graham Dance Company's homespace at Westbeth for an evening of danceworks performed by the young dancers of Graham 2.
Martha Graham’s iconic Ritual to the Sun from Acts of Light, Dark Meadow Suite, as well as Steps in the Street and Prelude to Action from Chronicle shared the program with a brand new work, Kenopsia, by Japanese choreographer and former Graham 2 dancer Yoshito Sakuraba, and Ensō, a brilliant dance-on-film choreographed by Virginie Mécène.
Ritual to the Sun (photo above by Melissa Sherwood) opens with dancer Jared Stern circling the space; clad in gold and dancing in golden light, Mr. Stern is soon joined by his Graham 2 colleagues. The choreography is sort of "everything Martha Graham, together in one place" and it is performed to Carl Nielsen's triumphant, Olympian score. The Company is put thru their paces in an exploration of Graham technique, and it's a perfect way to be introduced to these beautiful and distinctive young dancers. The evening is off to an exciting start.
Ms. Mécène, Graham 2's director, found a perfect setting for her imaginative dancework Ensō right downstairs in the Westbeth courtyard: a low, circular seating space with only one point of access. Yejin Lee's team have done an incredible job making this film, including breathtaking shots from directly overhead.
The dancers are clad in black, with swathes of red fabric; they move in, on, and about the circle to the rhythmic score by Armand Amar, The dancers seem to be seeking and reaching as the movement flows from active and urgent to moments of calm. Everything about Ensō impressed me; I would love to get my hands on a copy of the film and watch it every day as a source of inspiration.
Above: from Martha Graham's Dark Meadow; photo by Melissa Sherwood
The suite from Martha Graham's Dark Meadow, to music by Carlos Chavez, was performed before projections of cave drawings and rock formations assembled by Ms. Mécène. The dancers wear Earth-tone costumes, and the piece commences in silence. A dance for the women to the sound of a flute first brought Ghislaine van den Heuvel into my focus: this woman looks amazingly like the great Paul Taylor star Laura Halzack. I found myself continually seeking Ms. van den Heuvel out as the program continued.
Above: Axel Gerard and Lauren Rickman in Dark Meadow Suite; photo by Melissa Sherwood
Putting names to faces while watching a group of dancers most of who are new to me is always a challenge; everyone danced with commitment as Dark Meadow unfolded with fleeting solos, a pas de six, and the beautiful passage where the kneeling men hold their partners by the ankles as the women lean forward: a Graham masterstroke.
After the interval, Mr. Sakuraba's Kenopsia (photo above by Melissa Sherwood), set to a musical collage by Rupert Huber and Peter Sandberg mixed with sound effects by the choreographer, was engrossing...and beautifully lit. Kenopsia refers to "...the forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned." Dressed in casual, everyday wear, the dancers find many opportunities for expressive movement in brief solos, duets, and ensemble clusters. Spoken words, the tolling of bells, and deep pulsing beats fill the air; a woman dances a solo while seated, and there is a restless female quartet. Fleeting intimacies surface: the tender brotherhood of Esteban Santamaría and Antonio Leone cannot sustain itself in the overall atmosphere of pain and loneliness. But somehow the work ends with a touch of the poetic.
A musical interlude put Eran Fink and Stahv Danker, who sometimes play for Graham class, in the spotlight. They traded instruments (piano and drums) midway thru their set, and won whooping applause from the audience when they finished. Bravo, gentlemen!
Above: from Martha Graham's Chronicle, photo by Yejin Lee
The last two movements of Martha Graham's powerful Chronicle made for a grand finale to the evening. In silence, the women back slowly into the space for Steps in the Street. Avery Glunt made a vivid impression as soloist here, and then Ane Arrieta was the vibrant leader in Prelude to Action. For the first time, male dancers joined in this normally all-female work, and the effect was striking. The choreography is so demanding, and the dancers showed boundless stamina and grace in bringing it all off to triumphant effect.
A wonderful evening, then: so full of memorable moments, and with the promise of things to come from these young dancers of Graham 2. I was very happy to have a chance to catch up with two of my Graham idols: Leslie Andrea Williams and Lloyd Knight.
~ Oberon