October 7-13, 2004

artpicks

Channeling Martha

by Deni Kasrel

dance

Even people who don't know squat about dance may be familiar with the name Martha Graham. Her reputation is that immense. Enough so that Randy Swartz, artistic director of Dance Celebration, proclaims that Martha is right up there with "Stravinsky and Picasso, she's one of the great artists of the 20th century." Graham is rightfully considered the mother of modern dance and she surely made a lasting impression with her grand style. Says Swartz, "She allowed for big acting, big dancing, and big emotional output. She was a big-stroke artist. She gave you a wallop."

While the artist is no longer with us, her spirit lives on in the guise of the Martha Graham Dance Company, currently led by two longtime members of the troupe: Terese Capucilli and Christine Dakin. Swartz says that the pair preserve Graham's legacy without trying to present dances that look the same as when they were originally performed: "It's like Martha, she changed the interpretations. The bodies change, the personalities change. The artistic direction is faithful to Martha's traditions but at the same time they didn't stick themselves in a museum and try to re-create what they did 20 years ago." This program offers a mix of solos and group work to include "Appalachian Spring," "Lamentation," and "Cave of the Heart." Call it a greatest hits retrospective, or as Swartz observes, "It's a touchstone of modern dance. It's the fountainhead from whence it all came."

Martha Graham Dance Company, Thu.-Sat., Oct. 7-9, $32-$44, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900.