Synopsis
A filmed version of Aaron Copland's most famous ballet, with its original star, who also choreographed.
Appalachian Spring
1958 Directed by Peter Glushanok
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Theatrical
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USA
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USA
01 Jan 1958
- Theatrical
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I’m dreadful at gathering what happens in narratives without any words but that’s when emotions truly take over. Appalachian Spring embodies its title with a romantic encapsulation of springtime rebirth. The spare set leaves room for imagination, whether one sees the movement taking place in a large, blooming meadow or in the premises of a wealthier estate. As my mind ran free and the dresses could’ve been from any past century - removing the slightest sense of modernity - the whole performance was then freed from time and all the movement appeared even lighter to me (although with context the time becomes more important).
Graham’s choreography is an excellent, “simplistic” mix of movement and stillness as there can be five…
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I’m fairly indifferent towards ballet, but I could stare at this minimalist staging and stark black and white all day.
Plus, some of the choreography was pretty compelling.
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I hesitate to say that I'm "not a dance person" because if I was truly not a dance person, I wouldn't have queued this up. But it's still something I'm tempted to say--not because of a lack of interest, but rather a lack of education. There are some art forms that require more than a willing heart to truly comprehend the beauty of, and dance is certainly one of them. (There are people, I suspect, that would disagree with that, so maybe I should add in a "for me" qualifier there: For me there are some art forms that require more than a willing heart. Poetry is another one.)
But it is fair to say that I've lately found myself…
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It is interesting to think how much work must have gone into this television production for what must have been a modest audience. Martha Graham is a legend of American dance, play the main part here in a ballet she commissioned and choreographed. (Fans of the music as a concert piece by Aaron Copland are always surprised to learn that his working title for this while he was writing it was simply "Ballet for Martha."
We hear the original version of the music here, in a small ensemble of 13 players (the original venue, at the Library of Congress, was not very big, another reason the cast of dancers is also modest.) Copland later wrote a version for full orchestra… -
there’s a bit about halfway through where bertram ross duckwalks which was really funny and jarring to me as someone with 0 understanding of the history of dance
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Who knew the original Martha Graham ballet was on the Criterion Channel? I sure didn't, and only found it when I was looking at the list of all the films on the channel in alphabetical order.
I can't get over how well shot this was. Incredible. This is one of my fave pieces of music ever, and I can't wait to rewatch this often.
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Martha Graham plays The Wife and she also choreographed this adaptation of the Aaron Copland ballet.
This type of ballet really isn't my thing but I can still appreciate the technical side of things, which were quite impressive. I'm not a major ballet fan, although my wife once did it and my daughter is currently trying to do it. For the most part I found this short to be rather beautiful to look at and it also featured a terrific score for them to dance to. The choreography was certainly the highlight of the film and Graham proved to be quite graceful at all times.
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