RITUAL TO THE SUN
from Acts of Light (1981)
by Martha Graham
RITUAL TO THE SUN
from Acts of Light
Choreography by Martha Graham
Music by Carl Nielsen†
Costumes by Halston and Martha Graham
Lighting by Beverly Emmons
Premiere: February 26, 1981, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
“Thank you for all the acts of light which beautified a summer now past its reward.”
– Emily Dickinson
Ane Arrieta, Axel Gerard, Avery Glunt, Ghislaine van Heuvel, Antonio Leon, Kate Reyes, Lauryn Rickman, Esteban Santamaria, Jared Stern, Natasha Schmid, Gion Treichler, Yuchin Tseng, Gabrielle Willis
Commissioned in part by Edward H. Michaelson.
†Helios Overture, Op.17. Recorded by the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Herbert Blomstedt, courtesy of EMI Classics.
“Ritual to the Sun” from Acts of Light, a work from 1981, takes its title from a phrase by Emily Dickinson, a poet beloved by Graham. Devoid of theatrical trappings, Acts of Light celebrates the dancer as an exquisite instrument of expression, while making references to earlier works in the Graham canon. Former New York Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff called the work neo-classical. “Ritual to the Sun,” the final section, is an ode to the Graham classroom technique.
ENSŌ
by Virginie Mécène
ENSŌ
Choreography by Virginie Mecene
Music by Armand Amar
Costumes by Virginie Mecene
Premiered: March 30, 2022, Westbeth Artists Housing, for the Westfest Dance Festival, NYC
Filming* and editing by Yejin Lee
This site-specific dance, Ensō, was created around an existing cemented structure in the courtyard of Westbeth Artists Housing, in NYC. Shaped in an open circle, it reminds me of the Zen Ensō. Zen Ensō is often painted in one or two brushstrokes and embraces creativity with the acceptance of imperfection. The energetic force of the circle also calls for unity which is much in need throughout our present world.
Axel Gerard, Avery Glunt, Ghislaine van Heuvel, Antonio Leon, Lauryn Rickman, Esteban Santamaria, Matilde Santos, Gion Treichler, Yuchin Tseng, Gabrielle Willis
*Special thanks to James O’Donnell, Helena Patilla, and Shelly Staine
THEY WHO DANCE TOGETHER
from Dark Meadow (1946)
by Martha Graham
THEY WHO DANCE TOGETHER
from Dark Meadow
Choreography and costumes by Martha Graham
Restaged by Virginie Mecene
Music By Carlos Chavez†
Projections of American Rock-Arts from various sources, landscape photos taken by Virginie Mecene in Utah canyons
Premiere: January 23, 1946 at the Plymouth Theater, New York City
“Dark Meadow is a re-enactment of the Mysteries which attend the eternal adventure of seeking.”
– Martha Graham
Ane Arrieta, Axel Gerard, Avery Glunt, Ghislaine van Heuvel, Antonio Leon, Kate Reyes, Lauryn Rickman, Esteban Santamaria, Jared Stern, Natasha Schmid, Gion Treichler, Yuchin Tseng, Gabrielle Willis
†La Hija de Cólquide, used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.
The Dark Meadow Suite is made up of highlights from a much longer work by Martha Graham, Dark Meadow, which premiered in 1946. The Suite, created in 2016, is designed to feature the exceptional choreography that Graham created for the ensemble of dancers in Dark Meadow. Both the unison dancing and the partnering have been recognized as some of Graham’s most architectural, ritualistic and profound creations. They are clearly inspired by Graham’s love of the rituals of the natives of the American Southwest and Mexico, which she observed as a young woman. The Mexican composer Carlos Chavez wrote the spacious musical score for Graham. The dancers often work in counterpoint to the score using the sound of their feet and other body percussion effects. In her original program note, Graham wrote, “Dark Meadow is a re-enactment of the mysteries which attend the eternal adventure of seeking.” It is an abstract work about life’s journey and the search for connection with one’s self and one’s community. This dance is a prime example of Graham as a leader in mid-20th Century modernism.
KENOPSIA
by Yoshito Sakuraba
WORLD PREMIERE
KENOPSIA
Choreographed by Yoshito Sakuraba
Music by Rupert Huber & ADF, “Etude No.1 for String Quartet” & “Thesis” by Peter Sandberg, “Das Gemeinsame”, Sound Effects mixed by Yoshito Sakuraba
Costumes by Yoshito Sakuraba
Ane Arrieta, Axel Gerard, Avery Glunt, Ghislaine van Heuvel, Antonio Leon, Kate Reyes, Lauryn Rickman, Esteban Santamaria, Jared Stern, Natasha Schmid, Gion Treichler, Yuchin Tseng, Gabrielle Willis
“Kenopsia shows the forlorn atmosphere of a place that used to be vibrant with people but is now abandoned. This work is influenced by my fascination with the illusion of time and place: in particular, a ghost town called Bodie in California. Also the palettes of a visual artist, Gregory Crewdson’s photographic composition and his play with lighting to create scenes and interactions that capture the narrative depth of the work, have been an influence on my work. By using the best of my dancers’ strengths and techniques, I shape it to fit a narrative layered with multifaceted, theatrical interactions”. -Yoshito
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
by Eran Fink (6/9-10) and Stahv Danker (6/9)
MOON (1952)
by Martha Graham
MOON
(6/11 mat, eve)
Duet from Canticle for Innocent Comedians
Choreography by Martha Graham
Original Music composed and played by Cameron McCosh
Filmed in 1957 for A Dancer’s World, produced by Nathan Kroll, directed by Peter Glushanok
Premiere: April 22, 1952, Juilliard School of Music, New York City
In memory of Yuriko (1920-2022)
Danced by Yuriko and Bertram Ross
Based on the interplay of the Sun and the Moon originally featured in her ballet, Canticle for Innocent Comedians, Martha Graham draws the male and female sources that define these elements.
Canticle for Innocent Comedians, created in 1952, is considered to be atypical of most Graham works because it reveals some of her most lyrical choreography. The poem-like suite is Graham’s great hymn to nature, and it celebrates the elements – sun, moon, earth, wind, water, fire – in separate little dance odes. Sections of the choreography were captured in 1957 for the award-winning film about Graham, A Dancer’s World. The current reconstruction of the duet Moon, uses the choreography from that film and the score created from improvised music on the film’s soundtrack.
STEPS IN THE STREET and PRELUDE TO ACTION
from Chronicle (1936)
by Martha Graham
STEPS IN THE STREET and PRELUDE TO ACTION
from Chronicle
Choreography and Costumes by Martha Graham
Music by Wallingford Riegger†
Original lighting by Jean Rosenthal
Premiere: December 20, 1936, Guild Theatre, New York City
Chronicle does not attempt to show the actualities of war; rather, by evoking war’s images, it sets forth the fateful prelude to war, portrays the devastation of spirit which it leaves in its wake, and suggests an answer. (Original program note)
Steps in the Street
Avery Glunt (6/9, 6/11 eve), Ane Arrieta (6/10, 6/11 mat)
Unity—Pledge to the Future
Ane Arrieta (6/9, 6/11 eve), Ghislaine van den Heuvel (6/10, 6/11 mat)
The Company
†Additional orchestrations by Stanley Sussman
Chronicle premiered at the Guild Theater in New York City on December 20, 1936. The dance was a response to the menace of fascism in Europe; earlier that year, Graham had refused an invitation to take part in the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, stating: “I would find it impossible to dance in Germany at the present time. So many artists whom I respect and admire have been persecuted, have been deprived of the right to work for ridiculous and unsatisfactory reasons, that I should consider it impossible to identify myself, by accepting the invitation, with the regime that has made such things possible. In addition, some of my concert group would not be welcomed in Germany” (a reference to the fact that many members of her group were Jewish). “Chronicle does not attempt to show the actualities of war; rather does it, by evoking war’s images, set forth the fateful prelude to war, portray the devastation of spirit which it leaves in its wake, and suggest an answer.” This is one of the very few dances Martha Graham made which can be said to express explicitly political ideas, but, unlike Immediate Tragedy (1937) and Deep Song (1937), dances she made in response to the Spanish Civil War, this dance is not a realistic depiction of events. The intent is to universalize the tragedy of war. The original dance, with a score by Wallingford Riegger, was forty minutes in length, divided into five sections: “Dances before Catastrophe: Spectre–1914 and Masque,” “Dances after Catastrophe: Steps in the Street and Tragic Holiday,” and “Prelude to Action.” The dance disappeared from the repertory in 1937 and was thought to be lost. In 1985, Barry Fischer discovered a film by Julien Bryan of the original cast of “Steps in the Street”, which he reconstructed at NYU as part of his doctoral research. Since that discovery, the Company has reconstructed and now performs “Spectre–1914,” “Steps in the Street” and “Prelude to Action.”
The Graham 2 New York Season 2022 is dedicated to Yuriko
Founder of the troupe under the name of the Martha Graham Ensemble, in 1983.
In loving memory of Yuriko and with our deep appreciation for her immeasurable passion, dedication, and enormous contribution to the Graham legacy.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Virginie Mécène
THE COMPANY
Ane Arrieta, Axel Gerard, Avery Glunt, Ghislaine van Heuvel, Antonio Leon, Kate Reyes, Lauryn Rickman, Esteban Santamaria, Jared Stern, Natasha Schmid, Gion Treichler, Yuchin Tseng, Gabrielle Willis
Guest from the Martha Graham School: Matilde Santos
“The issues of our relationship with nature and with one another have become even more energized and urgent during the challenges of the pandemic. These worldwide personal and political concerns motivate all of us to express fresh and bold ideas through art,” said Graham 2 Director Virginie Mécène. “This season speaks to our present time by both celebrating nature and representing our responsibility to living together on this planet.”
Please, consider learning about and contributing toward restoring and maintaining the environment.
See dancers’ favorite charity links at the bottom of this program.
ARTISTS
Stahv Danker
Stahv Danker
Stahv Danker (musician) was born in Los Angeles and raised in Israel by a very artistic family. Stahv specializes in Drums and Piano. He was accepted to the Israeli Defense Force Musical Collective, where he experienced many different performance settings. Upon the ending of his IDF service, he started his musical education at the New School extension for Jazz and Contemporary Music in Tel Aviv, Israel. Stahv got accepted with a scholarship to the Jazz Department of the New School in New York, where he earned his BFA in Jazz and Contemporary music. Soon after, Stahv was selected to perform a two-week residency at the “Bern Jazz Festival” in Switzerland. In 2019 Stahv was the drummer of the off Broadway “the Office: A Musical Parody” show. He started accompanying professional dance classes as a Percussionist and Pianist in the leading dance schools in NY such as: Martha Graham Dance School (Peggy Lyman Hayes), the Juilliard School (Milton Myers), Peridance Capezio Center, Steps on Broadway, and Gibney Dance. On February 11th 2022 Stahv is releasing his own album that will include 60 tracks of original Percussion and piano music designed for the Martha Graham Technique™ or any other Dance Technique.
Erán Fink
Erán Fink
Yuriko Kikuchi
Yuriko Kikuchi
Yuriko Kikuchi under the single name Yuriko was a leading dancer in the Martha Graham Dance Company from the 1940s to 1967, and then a keeper of Graham’s flame through her demanding teaching and outstanding revivals of early Graham works. She founded a student company, the Martha Graham Ensemble, in 1983 and ran it until 1993. The Martha Graham Ensemble subsequently became Graham 2. Yuriko was associated with the Graham fold for more than 70 years.
Born in San Jose, California in 1920, she began her dance training with the Konami Ishii Dance Company in Tokyo in 1930. Yuriko returned to the United States in 1937 where she joined Dorothy Lyndall’s Junior Dance Company in Los Angeles. During World War II Yuriko, her mother and stepfather, along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans, were sent to a Japanese Internment Camp. Assigned to temporary housing that she described as basically horse stalls, Yuriko taught dance classes that were so popular she was voted the Queen of Tulare Assembly Center.
In 1943 Yuriko moved to New York City to study with Martha Graham and was invited to join the company the following year. During her tenure she originated roles in works such as Appalachian Spring (1944), Dark Meadow (1946), Cave of the Heart (1946), Night
Journey (1947), Clytemnestra (1958) and Embattled Garden (1958).
At this time Yuriko also became known as an independent modern dance choreographer. She gave her first solo concert at the 92nd Street Y in 1946. It was an evening of 10 solos, one of which included a set designed by Isamu Noguchi. Graham respected Yuriko’s choreographic efforts so much that she included her in a 1948 presentation of works by three of her most promising dancers. The other two were Merce Cunningham and Erick Hawkins.
Yuriko developed yet another career after she performed in the original cast of the 1951 Broadway musical and later in the film “The King and I.” She starred in a dancing role as the runaway slave Eliza in “The Small House of Uncle Thomas”. The choreography was by Jerome Robbins, who asked her to reproduce it in later productions of the musical, which she did for over 20 years. Yul Brynner, the show’s original male star, asked her to direct the entire musical on Broadway. When she directed several other productions of the musical, which is set in Siam (now Thailand), she cast Asian Americans as most of the Siamese characters; earlier productions had primarily used white actors for those roles.
Yuriko was the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship Award for choreography (1967) the Bessie Award (1991), an honorary Doctorate from the Boston Conservatory (2006), the Martha Hill Dance fund Lifetime Achievement Award (2012), and for her trailblazing career in the world of Modern dance the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation (2013).
Virginie Mécène
Virginie Mécène
Virginie Mécène, Director of Graham 2 since 2007 and Director of Program at the Martha Graham School is a former Principal Dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company touring the world and performing many roles of the repertoire from 1994 to 2006. Her direction has focused on training the next generations of dancers for the Martha Graham Dance Company and other companies around the world as well as the next generations of Graham teachers through her pedagogic instructions. She has served as the Director of the Martha Graham School from 2007 to 2015 maintaining and developing the School curriculum while sustaining the integrity of the Martha Graham technique and nurturing the process that continues its development. She created the Intensive Graham Teacher Workshop for teachers of all backgrounds. She has re-staged, reconstructed, and directed numerous works of Martha Graham in Universities and dance companies as well as taught the Graham TechniqueTM at multiple national and international conferences. In 2017, she reimagined and choreographed Graham’s lost solo, Ekstasis, for the Martha Graham Dance Company. Ekstasis was featured at The Palais Garnier, in Paris, performed by Étoile and Director of the Paris Opera Ballet, Aurélie Dupont. Ms. Mecene’s choreographic work has been presented in other venues such as New York City Center, The Joyce Theater, in New York City, The Adrienne Arhst Center and the Broward Center, in Florida, and Kaastban International Dance Center, in New York State. Ms. Mecene was also Principal Dancer with Buglisi Dance Theater since its inception in 1994; the Pearl Lang Dance Theater; and Battery Dance Company. A native of France, she graduated from the University of Bourgogne with a Licence Professionnelle in Artistic and Cultural Management. Ms. Mecene has also served as a Lecturer at Barnard College, NY, in 2004 and served as the president of EFSD (Emergency Fund For Student Dancers) regrouping member schools: the Ailey School, Limon Dance Institute, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Peridance Capezio Center, and the Martha Graham School, from 2012 to 2016. Ms. Mecene also serves as an adjudicator for dance competitions nationally and internationally.
Yoshito Sakuraba
Yoshito Sakuraba
Yoshito Sakuraba is the founding artistic director of Abarukas and an award-winning choreographer. Originally from Japan, Yoshito began his career in New York City and has expanded to presenting work in Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, Israel, Mexico, and nationally across the U.S. including Joyce Theater, BAM Fisher, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow, Kaatsbaan, and McCallum Theater (Palm Desert Choreography Festival). He has received the Best Choreography Award at FINI Dance Festival in Italy, the Audience Award at Masdanza International Contemporary Dance Festival in Spain, and he’s a winner of NW Dance Project’s Pretty Creatives and Whim W’Him’s Shindig. In addition to his company repertory, he’s been commissioned by numerous companies including Bayerisches Staatsballett (Munich), DAF (Rome), Lamondance (Vancouver), Louisville Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, Ballet Des Moines II, Litvak Dance, Levy Dance, Pony Box Dance Theater, Modas Dance, Kit Modus, Nimbus Dance, and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. He seeks to inspire young artists in their artistic expression and has been invited to create works and teach at institutions such as Joffrey Ballet School, Alvin Ailey/Fordham University, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Peabody at Johns Hopkins University, Marymount Manhattan College, Barnard College, DLNY, MOVE l NYC and Steps on Broadway Conservatory. Most recently he was commissioned by the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts in Michigan.
DANCERS
Ane Arrieta
Ane Arrieta
Ane Arrieta, a dual citizen of Spain and the US, grew up in Newport, Rhode Island, where she trained at the Newport Academy of Ballet. She went to the Hartt School at the University of Hartford where she received her BFA in Dance Performance and Ballet Pedagogy in 2020. While at the Hartt School she performed works by José Limón, Martha Graham, George Balanchine and Paul Taylor and worked with contemporary choreographers Bryan Arias and Francesca Harper. Following graduation, Ane toured internationally with Island Moving Company and became a Nationally Certified Pilates Instructor. This is her first season with Graham 2!
Axel Gerard
Axel Gerard
Axel Gerard is from Paris, France, where he began training at the Centre Formation de la Danse, in Cergy, and performed works by Bruce Taylor and others. Axel continued training at the Rick Odums Institute in Paris where he discover the Graham Technique and was a member of the Modern Young Ensemble. He earned his Exam of Technical Aptitude in contemporary Dance in 2018.
Axel is now enrolled in the Teacher Training Program at the Martha Graham School. This is his second season as a member of Graham 2 and he is excited to deepen his Graham experience.
Avery Glunt
Avery Glunt
Avery Glunt is from Chicago, Illinois, where she received pre-professional training and her high school diploma at The Chicago Academy for the Arts. She graduated the Two-Year Certificate Program at the Martha Graham School in 2020 and is currently in the Teacher Training Program. She joined Graham 2 in 2019 and is now in her third season with the company. Avery is looking forward to being back on the stage with her peers to perform the legendary Graham repertoire.
Antonio Leone
Antonio Leone
Antonio Leone is from Salerno, Italy. He graduated in 2021 from the Rudra Béjart school in Switzerland, where he performed diverse works by Julio Arozarena and Maurice Béjart, among others. This is Antonio’s first season with the Graham 2 company and he’s looking forward to deepening his performance and artistic qualities within the Martha Graham repertoire.
Kate Reyes
Kate Reyes
Kate Reyes is originally from the Philippines and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. She is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, where she received her BFA in Dance. She also trained at Fiorello H. LaGuardia HS, The Taylor School, Manhattan Youth Ballet, and Teens@Graham. She is presently enrolled in the Martha Graham School advanced Studies Certificate Program as a Graham 2 member and is the 2021 recipient of the Pearl Lang Award for Excellence in Performance. She was invited to join the Martha Graham Dance Company in her second year of the program and just celebrated her first performance season.
Lauren Rickman
Lauryn Rickman
Lauryn Rickman is from Kingston, Jamaica, where she began her dance training at the Vickers’ Ballet Studio and later was invited to the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica with whom she performed six seasons of dance. She earned her high school diploma from the United World College in New Mexico, USA, and returned to Jamaica for a year to dance with L’Acado: A United Caribbean Dance Force. She went to Havana, Cuba taking classes with Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, and in August 2021 started to focus on the Graham technique as a part of Graham 2.
Esteban Santamaria
Esteban
Esteban Santamaria, from Colón, Panamá, graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in dance from the “Universidad de Panamá” and from “The Ailey School”. Esteban is a former company member of the “Ballet Nacional de Panamá” and joined the Graham 2 company in 2020 where he performed roles from Martha Graham’s repertoire, Dark Meadow, Appalachian Spring, and Acts of Light. Esteban just completed a tour performing with the Martha Graham Dance Company.
Natasha Schmid
Natasha Schmid
Natasha Schmid was born and raised in Jacksonville Beach, FL. She started her training at the Florida Ballet and graduated with her High School Diploma from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. In 2021, Natasha graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Dance Performance, a BA in Creative Computation, and a minor in Graphic Design. Natasha is currently studying in the Advanced Studies Certificate program at the Martha Graham School in the Graham 2 track. This is her first season with Graham 2 and she is excited to perform Martha Graham’s historical works along with her fellow artists in Graham 2.
Jared Stern
Jared Stern
Jared Stern is a native New Yorker. He has trained at the Long Island High School for the Arts and Adelphi University where he earned his B.F.A. in 2020. Shortly after graduation he joined Graham 2 and is now in his second year with the company. Jared is thrilled to be back performing in-person again and looks forward to a great season.
Gion Treichler
Gion Treichler
Gion Treichler is from Zurich, Switzerland. He began his pre- professional dance training at Zurich Dance Academy (taz) and the ballet school of the Opera House Zurich. In date Gion is in his last year of the Bachelor contemporary dance at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) to obtain his BFA. Gion is currently in the Advanced Studies Certificate program at the Martha Graham School of contemporary dance. He joined Graham 2 in August 2021 and is excited to be performing the historical works of Martha Graham along with his fellow dancers in his first season.
Yuchin Tseng
YuChin Tseng
YuChin Tseng was born and raised in Yilan, Taiwan. She started her dance training with Lan Yang Dance Studio in Taiwan. She continued her training at the Harid Conservatory in Florida where she received a full-tuition scholarship and earned her high school diploma. In 2021, YuChin graduated from SUNY Purchase College in New York with a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Arts Management. YuChin is now studying in the Advanced Studies Certificate program at the Martha Graham School as well as a member of Graham 2. This is her first season with Graham 2.
Ghislaine van den Heuvel
Ghislaine van den Heuvel
Ghislaine van den Heuvel is from the Netherlands. She received her Bachelor of Dance from Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts in the Netherlands, where she performed in a variety of works by contemporary choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Navala Niku Chaudhari, Blenard Azizaj, and Katja Heitmann, among others. In 2020, during her final year of college, Ghislaine joined the Graham 2 company in New York. This season she is excited to further explore the intricacies of the Martha Graham repertoire and strengthen her creative expression through performance.
Gabrielle Willis
Gabrielle Willis
Gabrielle Willis is a military child who has called New York City home for the last five years. She began her pre-professional dance training with the Colton Ballet Company in Augusta, GA. In 2021, Gabrielle graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Dance Performance, concentrating in Modern Dance. Since graduating, Gabrielle has worked with artists such as Richard Move and Jacqulyn Buglisi. This is Gabrielle’s first season as a member of Graham 2 and she is grateful to be a part of this inspiring group of passionate and hard-working artists.
Please, consider learning about and contributing toward restoring and maintaining the environment.
The Guardian: Global soils underpin life but future looks ‘bleak’, warns UN report
National Geographic: Pollution