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heretic (1929)

Choreography, costumes and lighting: Martha Graham.
Dancers: Martha Graham and her group of female dancers.
Music: Old Breton song, 10 bars long, repeated throughtout the dance.
Premiere: Booth Theatre, New York, April 14th, 1929.
Video: click here .
Photographs: click here , here and here .

Heretic is the first important group work Martha Graham created in her career. In particular, it is the first piece through which her choreosophy (embodied choreo-knowledge) gained shape. It consists of the sharp contrast between an individual and a group. This contrast is created through two main aspects: the colour of their costumes, white for the lone protagonist and black for the group; and their movement quality, fluid for the former, and rigid, mechanical and performed in unison for the latter. The title of the piece refers to the white-dressed dancer's battle against the wall of black-dressed women, who is trying to stop her from expressing herself. These women represent the puritanical concept of art, a concept filled with denial and lack of freedom, while the heretic embodies the notion of art as freedom. It also embodies Graham's attempt to affirm her notion of dance as a serious art, as opposed to dance as pure entertainment. In the end, the heretic is defeated.

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Coreografia, costumi e luci: Martha Graham.
Danzatrici: Martha Graham e il suo Group di danzatrici.
Musica: Vecchia canzone bretone, di 10 battute, ripetuta durante choreography.
First performed at the Booth Theatre, New York, April 14, 1929.
Video: click here (commented in English).
Photos: click here , here and here .

Heretic is the first major group work of Martha Graham. In particular, the first piece through which its coreosofia (core-knowledge incarnate) took form. E 'characterized by the sharp contrast between an individual and group. This contrast is given by two main aspects: the color of their costumes, white for the lone star, and black for the group, and the quality of their movement, the first fluid and rigid, mechanical and performed in unison by the second. The title of the piece refers to the battle that the dancer in white fights against the wall of black women in that attempts to prevent expression. These women represent the Puritan concept of art, a concept full of denial and lack of freedom, while the heretical art as embodied freedom. It also represents an attempt by Graham to affirm his notion of dance as a serious art, as opposed to the notion of dance as pure entertainment. In the end, the heretic is defeated.