Martha was 62 when this was filmed (1956) and she struggles with some of the technique, but still... it's exciting to see her, and it kinda works since she's playing the role of his mother. She had a very hard time turning her roles over to younger dancers. This was directed by Alexander Hammid, husband of experimental filmmaker and dancer Maya Deren, which accounts in part to how masterfully this is filmed.
Thank you for that background info, yes it is beautifully shot, and i agree her age does work within this role but it is a bit difficult at times to watch, the set and costume design has such a mid century vibe, it actually reminds me of some of the Star Trek sets - if that's not too much of a stretch of the imagination!
Yes, the theme of the ballet is focused on the Sophocle’s tragedy “Oedipus Rex”, and Jocasta is the protagonist here, since the story is seen from her point of view when she discovers the truth about Oedipus :) hope this helped!
@@dandangernyc That back fall especially. I've done those, very hard on the knees. But her overall movement quality looks stiff to me and limited in range, but heck -- it's MARTHA! Just her vibe makes it work (kind of like Cunningham in his last years performing; he didn't do a lot physically, but his presence on stage was amazing).
@@skyboatmedia8244 Martha did not do all her costumes. Yuriko Amemiya Kikuchi, who’s present in this work, also worked as a seamstress for Graham for a while on her company.
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Thank you for posting this entire masterpiece. What a treasure.
I can't believe I'm seeing this brilliant piece.
Martha was 62 when this was filmed (1956) and she struggles with some of the technique, but still... it's exciting to see her, and it kinda works since she's playing the role of his mother. She had a very hard time turning her roles over to younger dancers. This was directed by Alexander Hammid, husband of experimental filmmaker and dancer Maya Deren, which accounts in part to how masterfully this is filmed.
why is this considered ballet and not lyrical or modern ?
@@shydumpling4303 It's Modern. Some people call any formalized dance that tells a story "ballet."
Struggles? Please.
Thank you for that background info, yes it is beautifully shot, and i agree her age does work within this role but it is a bit difficult at times to watch, the set and costume design has such a mid century vibe, it actually reminds me of some of the Star Trek sets - if that's not too much of a stretch of the imagination!
@@scarletred8888 definitely can see a similarity in the visual aesthetic used for alien worlds in the original Star Trek series.
This choreography was incredible
That's amazing! Thank you for sharing this! It is of a great use to teachers of dance history (in Poland, for instance) :)
This is great!
свихнуться можно...!!! какая сила!
Her use of costumes and sets to story tell was never level. These dresses and the lines on the dresses are so effective.
Is Martha Graham dancing as Queen Jocasta? It definitely looks a lot like her :) Love her technique.
Yes, the theme of the ballet is focused on the Sophocle’s tragedy “Oedipus Rex”, and Jocasta is the protagonist here, since the story is seen from her point of view when she discovers the truth about Oedipus :) hope this helped!
Yes this is most definitely Martha dancing. She was 65 when this was filmed and had no problem doing all those falls.
@@sonobora why is this considered ballet and not lyrical or modern?
@@shydumpling4303 It's Modern. Some people call any formalized dance that tells a story "ballet."
@@dandangernyc That back fall especially. I've done those, very hard on the knees. But her overall movement quality looks stiff to me and limited in range, but heck -- it's MARTHA! Just her vibe makes it work (kind of like Cunningham in his last years performing; he didn't do a lot physically, but his presence on stage was amazing).
One of the most beautiful people I've seen. Anyone know who the costumer was?
probably Martha Graham herself
@@joszym Yes, that's correct. Noguchi designed the "hard" pieces like the things they carried, the head ornaments, clasps and such.
Martha did all her costumes.
@@skyboatmedia8244 Martha did not do all her costumes. Yuriko Amemiya Kikuchi, who’s present in this work, also worked as a seamstress for Graham for a while on her company.
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