Dance celebrates ‘Legacy of Graham’

As the curtain rose, five dancers jumped, turned and kicked during a one-night-only performance of the “Legacy of Graham.”

The show recognized the impact Martha Graham had on modern dance. Developed in the 1930s, the Graham technique is characterized by sharp, athletic movements.
Selene Carter, the production coordinator for the performance, said the weekend was enormously successful.

“The dancers showed remarkable range and ability,” Carter said.

The Contemporary Dance Program, through the department of kinesiology, has been preparing for the performance since classes began in August.

The countless hours of rehearsals were put to use in the concert’s eight pieces; one original Graham piece accompanied the seven other works.

For example, Carter’s “Imago” premiered featuring original choreography.

Coordinator of the IU Contemporary Dance Program Elizabeth Shea debuted two pieces “The Mo(u)rning” and “These Hands.” IU professors Iris Rosa and Gwendolyn Hamm debuted original works as well.

The show also featured choreography by Paul Taylor, a student of Graham’s who went on to form his own dance company.

Taylor’s lighter piece, “3 Epitaphs,” drew laughter from many audience members on Friday because of the exaggerated movements and gray bodysuits that served as costumes.

Taylor’s second piece, “Aureole,” contained five movements performed by five dancers dressed in white.

Carter said all of the dances sought to honor the legacy left by Graham through movement, costuming and music.

Lazarick Whitlock, a sophomore and audience member said “Panorama” was his favorite piece to watch.  The dance featured 33 women wearing long red dresses and moving largely in unison. It was the final piece of the concert.

Whitlock said the dance was stripped down, primal and epic. 

Lalah Hazelwood, a freshman dance major, said she has been studying the Graham technique for almost four years. Hazelwood was in two pieces this weekend, “Panorama” and  “Mothers of the Waters.”

She said “Panorama” was her favorite piece to perform because it was so powerful.
This notion of power was something Graham sought to incorporate in all of her work, Carter said, and that Graham’s influence went beyond the world of dance. Her work impacted the worlds of democracy, art and women.

“She was a leader in 20th century thought,” Carter said.