Everyone has some period of their life where they experience a feeling of rebellion. There are very few people who experience the kind of rebellion that changes the way people perceive an art form. And most never move the world with their creation.
When you think of art and the innovators who have carved a new and exciting path, you most likely think of Picasso and Pollock. These artists created a new look that had never been seen or even though about before. The same is true of Martha Graham for her contribution to the art of dance.
When we think about the artists who have created a new way of looking at art, we probably think about Picasso and Pollock. These two artists created an art that had never been seen and forced the people of their generation to see things in a different way. Martha Graham is an artist who has changed the way that people see and experience dance.
Martha Graham lived in New York City during the 1930's. As you can imagine devastating poverty and hopelessness surrounded her. It was her thought that the stage productions that were on Broadway were nothing more than a way for some in society to escape the reality of the stark conditions of their city. Instead of creating more of the same, Graham incorporated the turmoil and hopelessness into the dances that she created.
The theater on Broadway provided a means of escape, but only for those who had the money to indulge. Graham saw the stage as an escape from the real world that surrounded it. Her vision was to bring the reality of life to the stage and give movement and motion to the turmoil of the real New York City.
Her noted piece "Steps in the Streets", which was a part of a larger performance called Chronicle, she displays the pain and helplessness that many of the people in the city could relate to. Twelve women dressed in black dresses perform this piece of undulating movements on the stage. The dance through movement gives the audience a glimpse into the hopelessness and helplessness that so many real people's experience.
The critics of Martha Graham's dance could not determine where she was coming from, or even what she was trying to do. The performance was so different from anything that was being done at the time that it took years before it could be understood, let alone appreciated. Today we are better able to comprehend the meaning behind the dance.
There were critics of Graham's work, however. It was difficult for them to understand what she was trying to accomplish with her work and what standpoint she was working from. It took many years for people to begin to understand that the dance that was created by Martha Graham was self expression in its agonizing glory.
Today, the work of Martha Graham is studied for its innovation at the time that it was created and for the concept of freedom of expression. Martha Graham should be thanked for her work that moved her chosen art forward into a new way of thinking and performing. Thanks to this innovative artist we now have a medium that can be used to express every human emotion.
It takes a brave few to push the envelope in the art world and move beyond what is currently the trend. It is the trend setters and the artists that step over boundaries and move their art forward without regard for their reputation or material wealth that we remember for centuries. No matter what the medium that is used, it takes innovation and forward thinking artists to continue to push the limits of what we perceive as art. Martha Graham is one of these artists.
About the Author:
John-Mark is a successful dancer, choreographer, fashion model and a mentor at Asia's Premier Film School, the International Academy of Film and Television.
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