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Martha Graham's Night Journey

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Martha Graham, whom is recognised as one of the utmost and greatest artists of the 20th century, revolutionised the art form of contemporary dance through movements which were established on the expressive dimensions of the human figure. The mother of contemporary dance achieved this by using her body in certain ways which were classified as athletic and dramatic, although raised controversy regarding every principle taught to ballet dancers. Outlined in this presentation will be a thorough analysis of Martha Graham’s work which challenged the concept of dance and made her one of the most significant pioneers of contemporary dance today. As well as her choreography throughout “Night Journey” and the symbolism involved which portrays her bravery …show more content…
I wanted it to be fraught with inner meaning, with excitement and surge.” – Martha Graham. (Martha Graham: Revolt and Passion, 2005). These are the wise words from one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, not only were her words inspiring but also her techniques were the major game changer for the face of dance. Graham had a vision of change, and her push for that change is the reason dance is the way it is today. Before Martha graham was a name known to the world, the history of dance began hundreds of years in advance. At first, ballet was “thought of as a French art because the first school was in France.” (Martha Graham and Modern Dance) it wasn’t until the nineteenth century when ballet changed to the two popular forms we know today, Romantic and Classical. The boundaries of romantic ballet was to express moods, emotions and actions of the characters, it was concerned with ‘mysterious and mythical themes, haunted by supernatural, feminine creatures, beyond the grasp of mortal men.’ (Martha Graham and Modern Dance) after many years, …show more content…
Imagine you are sitting in the audience of a theatre waiting for a performance to start, you are expecting to see classical ballet dancers prancing along the stage with precise movements, however much to your shock you see something much darker and more tragic. Martha Graham has completely changed the foundations of dance, the stories that were once fairy tales now exist as narratives of dark twisted Greek mythology. Through her choreography, Graham has constructed a metaphoric and abstract form that sets her work aside from the rest. Her storylines are filled with substance with a deeper meaning buried beneath the surface that is much more dramatic and engaging. Graham has taken on the role of demonstrating that dance doesn’t just tell make believe stories, but actual myths as well. The myth ‘Night Journey’ was one Greek myth that Graham incorporated into a dance piece, which tells the tale of Jocasta and Oedipus, husband and wife, king and queen who discover their original relationship is one of mother and son. After finding out their true relation to one another, they then commit the tragic act of suicide, with Jocasta hanging herself and Oedipus skewing his eyes out with the pins of Jocasta’s dress. After years and years of ballet performances, never have we seen anything so gruesome. Martha

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