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119-479: Appalachian Spring is an American ballet created by the choreographer Martha Graham and the composer Aaron Copland , later arranged as an orchestral work . Commissioned by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge , Copland composed the ballet music for Graham; the original choreography was by Graham, with costumes by Edythe Gilfond and sets by Isamu Noguchi . The ballet was well received at the 1944 premiere, earning Copland

238-480: A moderato ; as the Husbandman enters, jagged rhythms show his awkward movement, but it is twice interrupted by the gentle chorale. As the two back out of the home, the couple dances a duet, this time accompanied by a new, more forceful theme in the strings. A descending melodic line is contrasted with the chorale theme; this connection of themes is seen throughout the episode and was used by Graham to easily shift

357-610: A basic melodic motif from the tune, he created variations on it throughout the composition, first referring to it in the opening measures. The lyrics of "Simple Gifts" are connected to the ballet's themes of peace and remembrance during wartime: "'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free". The original ballet and subsequent suite for chamber orchestra are scored for: Woodwinds Percussion Strings The suite for orchestra and ballet arrangement for orchestra are scored for: Woodwinds Brass Percussion Strings The ballet opens with

476-553: A dancer in Russia. The technique is known for extreme speed throughout routines, emphasis on lines, and deep pliés. Perhaps one of the most well known differences of this style is the unorthodox positioning of the body. Dancers of this style often have flexed hands and even feet, and are placed in off-balance positions. Important ballet studios teaching this method are the Miami City Ballet , Ballet Chicago Studio company, and

595-521: A dark ballet about the Greek mythology figure Medea ; despite being a great admirer of Graham, he declined. The following year, Erick Hawkins , the chief male dancer in Graham's dance company, convinced the music patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge to commission a ballet from Copland for Graham's company; Copland happily accepted the offer. Graham first proposed a scenario titled " Daughter of Colchis ", which

714-575: A different final scene, where the Daughter and the Citizen reunite in the home. The second script ended with "the town settling down for the night" and the Daughter standing at the fence just before the curtain falls. The third script put forth "The Lord's Day" as it would stand in the final scenario. Graham received half of the score in January 1944 and began work on the choreography. Copland completed

833-453: A few decades, but after Graham's death, private investors began holding out as well. The company performed on and off for the next decade. In 2000, the company canceled performances for the year and came close to bankruptcy. By 2004, the company began to perform again after two supreme court cases with Ron Protas, both of which the company won. The Martha Graham Dance Company continues to both perform Graham's works and create new ones based on

952-538: A good understanding of the score, directed the film and consulted Louis Horst (the conductor of the premiere) to ensure the music was just as Copland wanted. Another version was made in 1976 for WNET 's Dance in America film series, with Yuriko in the leading role. The choreography of both versions remained close to the original. As of 2023, there are over 150 available commercial recordings of Appalachian Spring . Ballet Ballet ( French: [balɛ] )

1071-556: A greater athleticism that departed from the delicacy of ballet. The physicality was more daring, with mood, subject matter and music more intense. An example of this would be Joffrey's Astarte (1967), which featured a rock score and sexual overtones in the choreography. This ballet style is often performed barefoot. Contemporary ballets may include mime and acting , and are usually set to music (typically orchestral but occasionally vocal). It can be difficult to differentiate this form from neoclassical or modern ballet. Contemporary ballet

1190-658: A light presto ; here, Stravinsky's influence on Copland is evident in the Petrushka -like ascending and descending scales . As the music calms down with a restatement of the choral, the Revivalist dances with his Followers before the full cast proceeds onstage. A reprise of the calm opening (marked as at first ) follows the characters as they exit for a walk; the light focuses on the Pioneer Woman's face, then fades into darkness as "Simple Gifts" begins. Copland used

1309-480: A religious sense so much as in a poetic sense"; this too was cut by the premiere. The final scenario featured eight episodes: The "House of Victory" script included an extra episode after the "Interlude" presenting scenes from Uncle Tom's Cabin , strengthening the ballet's connection to the Civil War; but, upon Copland's persuasion, Graham cut the episode from the revisions. In addition, the original script used

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1428-488: A revised version of the ballet for 13 instruments, the revised ballet for orchestra, and the suite for 13 instruments. The orchestral suite remains the most well-known. The first recording of Appalachian Spring was of the orchestral suite: the 1945 premiere of the suite by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was recorded and reissued in 1999. The ballet for full orchestra was first recorded by

1547-429: A shepherd flute-like reiteration of the triad. This opening polychord, consisting of the tonic A major and dominant E major, is found throughout the score as a foundation for many of the melodies and tonalities. The Revivalist enters first, in darkness, followed by the Pioneer Woman, who takes a seat in her rocking chair. Then, the Husbandman and Bride enter; as the Husbandman pauses to observe the home, daylight illuminates

1666-404: A soft, quiet A major triad in the clarinet. The cello sustains the A tonic while the flute, violin, and viola stack build the A major triad again, this time with the dominant chord (E major) stacked in top. This creates a luminous scenescape, but the dissonances foreshadow danger. Copland conjures images of a pastoral scene by ending the chords with a deep tonic in the piano and following it with

1785-438: A sort of blurred mix. Noguchi's use of an outline of a house served as a metaphor for the general idea of the work being about "the bone structure of a people's living". The set featured the outline of a house, part of a porch with a ledge, a rocking chair, a small fence, and a tree stump (serving as the Revivalist's pulpit ). Edythe Gilfond created the costumes and Jean Rosenthal designed the lighting. Many changes were made to

1904-485: A source of aesthetic experience. The plots of many romantic ballets revolved around spirit women (sylphs, wilis, and ghosts) who enslaved the hearts and senses of mortal men. The 1827 ballet La Sylphide is widely considered to be the first, and the 1870 ballet Coppélia is considered to be the last. Famous ballet dancers of the Romantic era include Marie Taglioni , Fanny Elssler , and Jules Perrot . Jules Perrot

2023-583: A typical worker. As of 2020, American dancers (including ballet and other dance forms) were paid an average of US$ 19 per hour, with pay somewhat better for teachers than for performers. The job outlook is not strong, and the competition to get a job is intense, with the number of applicants vastly exceeding the number of job openings. Most jobs involve teaching in private dance schools . Choreographers are paid better than dancers. Musicians and singers are paid better per hour than either dancers or choreographers, about US$ 30 per hour; however, full-time work

2142-469: A whole. In fact, the French school is now sometimes referred to as Nureyev school. The French method is often characterized by technical precision, fluidity and gracefulness, and elegant, clean lines. For this style, fast footwork is often utilized in order to give the impression that the performers are drifting lightly across the stage. Two important trademarks of this technique are the specific way in which

2261-421: Is a Danish method first devised by August Bournonville . Bournonville was heavily influenced by the early French ballet method due to his training with his father, Antoine Bournonville and other important French ballet masters. This method has many style differences that differentiate it from other ballet methods taught today. A key component is the use of diagonal épaulements, with the upper body turning towards

2380-536: Is a French word which had its origin in Italian balletto , a diminutive of ballo (dance) which comes from Latin ballo , ballare , meaning "to dance", which in turn comes from the Greek "βαλλίζω" ( ballizo ), "to dance, to jump about". The word came into English usage from the French around 1630. In French, the word refers to a ballet performance, a ballet work, and possibly to the dance genre itself, although

2499-498: Is a ballet technique and training system that was founded by a diverse group of ballet dancers. They merged their respective dance methods (Italian, French, Danish and Russian) to create a new style of ballet that is unique to the organization and is recognized internationally as the English style of ballet. Some examples of classical ballet productions are: Swan Lake , The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker . Romantic ballet

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2618-476: Is a classic reference. This method is marked by the fusion of the classical French style, specifically elements from the Romantic era, with the athleticism of the Italian method, and the soulful passion of Russian ballet. She developed an extremely precise method of instruction in her book Basic Principles of Russian Classical dance (1948). This includes outlining when to teach technical components to students in their ballet careers, for how long to focus on it, and

2737-409: Is a seminal work for the choreographer. Set to César Franck 's score of the same title, it is a pure-dance interpretation of the score. Another form, Modern Ballet , also emerged as an offshoot of neoclassicism. Among the innovators in this form were Glen Tetley , Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino . While difficult to parse modern ballet from neoclassicism, the work of these choreographers favored

2856-556: Is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary . Ballet has been influential globally and has defined the foundational techniques which are used in many other dance genres and cultures. Various schools around

2975-474: Is also close to contemporary dance because many contemporary ballet concepts come from the ideas and innovations of twentieth-century modern dance, including floor work and turn-in of the legs. The main distinction is that ballet technique is essential to perform a contemporary ballet. George Balanchine is considered to have been a pioneer of contemporary ballet. Another early contemporary ballet choreographer, Twyla Tharp , choreographed Push Comes To Shove for

3094-444: Is also known for his choreography, especially that of Giselle , often considered to be the most widely celebrated romantic ballet. Neoclassical ballet is usually abstract, with no clear plot, costumes or scenery. Music choice can be diverse and will often include music that is also neoclassical (e.g. Stravinsky , Roussel ). Tim Scholl, author of From Petipa to Balanchine , considers George Balanchine 's Apollo in 1928 to be

3213-474: Is an expression of anxiety and concern for the Husbandman, and "The Lord's Day" is a prayer for peace and safety. When the Husbandman rejoins the Bride at the end, Pollack suggests this is actually in her imagination, further supported by her final gesture of reaching out to the horizon. Mark Franko says that the Civil War themes are possibly a reference to the civil rights movement and ongoing racial inequality in

3332-623: Is found in the original "House of Victory" script, where the Pioneer Woman is said to sit in a "Shaker rocking chair". Copland's interest in Shakers was not new, as they became a common subject of American art during the Great Depression. After Copland included the Shaker tune " Simple Gifts " into the "Interlude", Graham added "The Lord's Prayer" as a possible "Shaker meeting". Copland had decided to use "Simple Gifts" early on; by extracting

3451-530: Is that basic ballet technique must be taught at a slow pace, with difficulty progression often much slower than the rest of the methods. The idea behind this is if a student is to put in a large amount of effort into perfecting the basic steps, the technique learned in these steps allow a student to utilize harder ones at a much easier rate. Developed by George Balanchine at the New York City Ballet . His method draws heavily on his own training as

3570-494: Is the basis of all ballet training. When Louis XIV created the Académie Royale de Danse in 1661, he helped to create the codified technique still used today by those in the profession, regardless of what method of training they adhere to. The French school was particularly revitalized under Rudolf Nureyev , in the 1980s. His influence revitalized and renewed appreciation for this style, and has drastically shaped ballet as

3689-411: Is the emphasis of balance, elevations, ballon , poise, and strength. This method espouses the importance of recognizing that all parts of the body move together to create beautiful, graceful lines, and as such cautions against thinking of ballet in terms of the arms, legs, and neck and torso as separate parts. This method is well known for eight port de bras that are utilized. The Bournonville method

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3808-578: Is unusual for musicians. Teenage girl ballet dancers are prone to stress fractures in the first rib . Posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS) most commonly affects people who perform repetitive plantar flexion , such as ballet dancers. Eating disorders are thought to be common, and a 2014 meta-analysis suggests that studies do indicate that ballet dancers are at higher risk than the general population for several kinds of eating disorders. In addition, some researchers have noted that intensive training in ballet results in lower bone mineral density in

3927-725: The American Ballet Theatre in 1976, and in 1986 created In The Upper Room for her own company. Both of these pieces were considered innovative for their melding of distinctly modern movements with the use of pointe shoes and classically trained dancers. Today there are many contemporary ballet companies and choreographers. These include Alonzo King and his company LINES Ballet ; Matthew Bourne and his company New Adventures ; Complexions Contemporary Ballet ; Nacho Duato and his Compañia Nacional de Danza ; William Forsythe and The Forsythe Company ; and Jiří Kylián of

4046-506: The Coolidge Auditorium , conducted by Louis Horst , the music director of the company. The premiere was the closing concert of a four-day chamber music festival honoring Coolidge's 80th birthday. Copland had not attended any of the rehearsals at Graham's request, first seeing the full performance a day before the premiere. The ballet was well-received by critics and the public. The New York Times critic John Martin wrote of

4165-1107: The French School , the Vaganova Method , the Cecchetti Method , the Bournonville method , the Royal Academy of Dance method (English style), and the Balanchine method (American style). Many more schools of technique exist in various countries. Although preschool-age children are a lucrative source of income for a ballet studio, ballet instruction is generally not appropriate for young children. Initial instruction requires standing still and concentrating on posture, rather than dancing. Because of this, many ballet programs have historically not accepted students until approximately age 8. Creative movement and non-demanding pre-ballet classes are recommended as alternatives for children. The French method

4284-784: The Martha Graham Dance Company repertoire. Due to the high cost of licensing, the ballet was not performed by another company until 1998, when the Colorado Ballet staged it led by artistic director Martin Fredmann. In 2013, the Baltimore School for the Arts put on a production for the "Appalachian Spring Festival" in association with the Graham Company, which featured a complete performance of

4403-1065: The Nederlands Dans Theater . Traditionally "classical" companies, such as the Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet, also regularly perform contemporary works. The term ballet has evolved to include all forms associated with it. Someone training as a ballet dancer will now be expected to perform neoclassical, modern and contemporary work. A ballet dancer is expected to be able to be stately and regal for classical work, free and lyrical in neoclassical work, and unassuming, harsh or pedestrian for modern and contemporary work. In addition, there are several modern varieties of dance that fuse classical ballet technique with contemporary dance, such as Hiplet , that require dancers to be practised in non-Western dance styles. There are six widely used, internationally recognized methods to teach or study ballet. These methods are

4522-558: The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Here she taught her special dance technique to the women who would become the first members of her dance company. They would practice new works for nine months and then give recitals in New York and abroad. During the years of 1938 and 1939, men joined the troupe. Later on, financial troubles would plague the company. At these times, Graham was supported by individual patrons. One of

4641-488: The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1954, and Columbia Records released it four years later. The first recording of the original ballet was made in 1990 by Andrew Schenck and Hugh Wolff. In 1958, a film of the ballet was made with Graham in the lead role and Stuart Hodes dancing the Husbandman. The film was financed by WQED , who had already produced one successful Graham film. Nathan Kroll, a musician who had

4760-542: The Pulitzer Prize for Music during its 1945 United States tour. The orchestral suite composed in 1945 was played that year by many symphony orchestras; the suite is among Copland's best-known works, and the ballet remains essential in the Martha Graham Dance Company repertoire. Graham was known for creating the " Graham technique " of dance; in the 1930s, she began commissioning scores from various composers, often related to American history and culture . Around

4879-632: The School of American Ballet in New York. Ballet costumes play an important role in the ballet community. They are often the only survival of a production, representing a living imaginary picture of the scene. The roots of ballet go back to the Renaissance in France and Italy when court wear was the beginning of ballet costumes. Ballet costumes have been around since the early 15th century. Cotton and silk were mixed with flax, woven into semitransparent gauze to create exquisite ballet costumes. During

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4998-550: The West Coast scoring Hollywood films ; as a result, he composed the music for Appalachian Spring far from Graham's East Coast -based work. Since he could not meet with Graham, he relied greatly on the various scenarios sent to him. In total, Copland was sent three scripts: the original "House of Victory", and two revisions titled "Name". In composing the music, he drew from all three scripts to devise his own scenario, which Graham planned around as she received various drafts of

5117-565: The condensed score in June 1944, and the orchestration was finished in August. The premiere was originally set to take place at the Library of Congress on October 30, 1943, which was Coolidge's birthday. By May 1943, Copland had not begun composing the ballet, and given the further problems introduced by World War II, the premiere was postponed to early 1944. Despite a new December 1943 deadline for

5236-443: The proscenium arch from 1618 on distanced performers from audience members, who could then better view and appreciate the technical feats of the professional dancers in the productions. French court ballet reached its height under the reign of King Louis XIV . Louis founded the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy) in 1661 to establish standards and certify dance instructors. In 1672, Louis XIV made Jean-Baptiste Lully

5355-532: The " Graham technique " of dance. The Martha Graham Dance Company originally consisted of only women due to Graham's feminism; this played a key role in productions like American Document (1938), which mixed important moments in American history with Native American themes and American folklore . In the 1930s, she began commissioning scores from various composers; the scenarios often involved American history and culture . In 1941, Graham proposed to Copland

5474-423: The "Prologue" returns, the Bride sits in the rocking chair that the Pioneer Woman sat in and she looks over the empty stage. The Husbandman rests his hand on her shoulder and the Bride reaches out at the clarinet's last note. The music slowly fades to silence on the opening polychord and the curtain falls. In May 1945, Copland arranged the ballet into a suite for a symphony orchestra , and many conductors programmed

5593-612: The (then on-tour) ballet even more popular, establishing Copland and Graham as highly regarded artists. The Vienna premiere of the orchestral suite took place in November and the Australian premiere soon after. In January 1946, the Martha Graham Dance Company presented a new run of shows in New York, including Appalachian Spring on the program. By May 1946, the orchestral suite had received performances across

5712-479: The 17th century, different types of fabrics and designs were used to make costumes more spectacular and eye catching. Court dress still remained for women during this century. Silks, satins and fabrics embroidered with real gold and precious stones increased the level of spectacular decoration associated with ballet costumes. Women's costumes also consisted of heavy garments and knee-long skirts which made it difficult for them to create much movement and gesture. During

5831-420: The 18th century, stage costumes were still very similar to court wear but progressed over time, mostly due to the French dancer and ballet-master Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810) whose proposals to modernize ballet are contained in his revolutionary Lettres sur la danse et les ballets (1760). Noverre's book altered the emphasis in a production away from the costumes towards the physical movements and emotions of

5950-477: The Bride into the home. The second part of "Wedding Day" depicts the "old fashion charivari" mentioned in the scripts. The joyous and bouncy music uses scales and rhythmic jolts to conjure the image of party and celebration. The Bride dances a rhythmically complex solo, similar to the Husbandman's dance in the first part. Instrument sections are clearly divided by quick jumps through changing metres . The uneven rhythms are replaced by consistent eighth notes, starting

6069-433: The Bride's joy, use elements of an "old-fashioned swing " described in the early scripts. The new melody is followed by a bouncy restatement of the polychord from the "Prologue". A chorale -like second theme is introduced alongside the first. This chorale features odd rhythms between the different voices; while the upper line emphasizes the second beat , the bass line accents the first and third beats. The music calms down to

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6188-473: The Bride, Hawkins as the Husbandman, May O'Donnell as the Pioneer Woman, and Merce Cunningham as the Revivalist. Yuriko , Pearl Lang , Nina Fonaroff, and Marjorie Mazia danced the Revivalist's followers. Graham's performance was young and lively, which critics praised. On the contrary, Hawkins was stiffer and exhibited the masculinity of the role, but later performers were more supple with movements. Cunningham, who choreographed his own solo during "Fear of

6307-399: The Bride, the Husbandman, the Pioneer Woman, and the Revivalist; the last is accompanied by four Followers. Appalachian Spring follows the Bride and the Husbandman as they get married and celebrate with the community. Themes of war are present throughout the story; it is suggested that the Husbandman leaves for war, causing worry and anxiety among the community. Shaker themes also influenced

6426-514: The Bride. Another variation of "Simple Gifts" underlines the Husbandman's slow drift away, and a grand, final restatement of the Shaker tune signals the end of the fear as the Pioneer Woman dances with the Followers. A gentle hymn -like melody, marked "like a prayer", is heard in the strings as the community gathers for prayer. The chorale is stated a final time, followed by the return of the opening theme. Graham wrote that this episode "could have

6545-578: The Citizen, a smart civil rights advocate who marries the Daughter; and the Fugitive, who embodies the slave in the Civil War . Graham based some of the ballet on her own experiences. She grew up in small-town Pennsylvania, and later wrote that the Mother was based on her own grandmother. Other characters include the Younger Sister, Two Children, and Neighbors. In the later revisions, a new character

6664-404: The Graham company's repertoire. The critic Terry Teachout wrote, "It is probably the greatest piece of classical music composed by an American. Certainly the greatest dance score composed by an American, completely comparable in quality to the great ballets of Tchaikovsky or Stravinsky . All that is best about mid-century American music is in this piece." In addition, the ballet was essential to

6783-566: The Kid (1938) and Rodeo (1942), both of which used cowboy songs and fit with the popular stereotypes about the Wild West . In addition, Lincoln Portrait (1942) and Fanfare for the Common Man (1942) received widespread acclaim for their American themes, distinguishing Copland's versatility as a composer. Martha Graham was a modern dancer and choreographer best known for creating

6902-447: The Martha Graham Dance Company including: Merce Cunningham , Erick Hawkins , Pearl Lang , Pascal Rioult , Miriam Pandor , Anna Sokolow , and Paul Taylor . The repertoire of 181 works also includes guest performances from Mikhail Baryshnikov , Claire Bloom , Margot Fonteyn , Liza Minnelli , Rudolf Nureyev , Maya Plisetskaya , and Kathleen Turner . Graham began teaching in her studio at 66 Fifth Avenue, near 13th Street, and at

7021-616: The Night", was instructed to display great anger; Graham later described the role to a new dancer as being "ninety-nine percent sex and one percent religion: a real popular spellbinder, a magnetic man who had power over women." Graham's vision for the four Followers was spontaneity; they would remain perfectly still until their time came, and when they did dance, it would be with energy and focus. Agnes de Mille , fellow choreographer and close friend of Graham's, pointed out that many subsequent productions featured cute and perky Followers, but that this

7140-430: The Shaker song " Simple Gifts " throughout much of Appalachian Spring , first playing it in its entirety at the start of the "Interlude". Throughout the "Interlude", four variations on "Simple Gifts" are introduced, some fitting the atmosphere of the action on stage (like one variation reminiscent of the clip-clop of a horse's hooves). Most of the variations leave the melody essentially the same, changing other elements of

7259-481: The United States . The opening of the music uses delicately placed dissonances to create a dreamy landscape. In the scripts Copland worked from, this scene was to feature the Pioneer Woman sitting "terrifyingly still" and looking over her land. Elizabeth Crist speculates that the entire ballet is the Pioneer Woman's memory; Crist suggests that the dissonances in the music depict the Pioneer Woman reflecting on

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7378-414: The arms. Most ballet choreography is written so that it can only be performed by a relatively young dancer. The structure of ballet – in which a (usually) male choreographer or director uses (mostly) women's bodies to express his artistic vision, has been criticized as harming women. Martha Graham Dance Company Many of the great 20th and 21st century modern dancers and choreographers began at

7497-1003: The ballet and various art exhibits. It marked the first time a non-professional company was granted permission from the Martha Graham Center to perform the ballet. Appalachian Spring has been performed by numerous dance companies since, including the Onium Ballet Project in Hawaii, the Nashville Ballet in Tennessee, Dance Kaleidoscope in Indiana, and the Sarasota Ballet in Florida. Many consider Appalachian Spring to be one of Copland's best and most famous works; it holds equal notability in

7616-515: The ballet, notably in the music, where Copland incorporated a theme and variations on the common Shaker tune " Simple Gifts ". During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Aaron Copland spent much of his time promoting American composers and music. Copland's compositions during this time turned jazzy and dissonant, a style that interested few. During the Great Depression , his left-wing political stances strengthened, motivated by addressing

7735-463: The bassoon, accompanied by the Followers. During the half-speed fourth variation played as a canon in the woodwinds, the Revivalist dominantly watches the couple's high-spirited duet, and follows them as they walk into the home. The music of "Fear of the Night" nervously jolts and twitches, similar to the "Gun Battle" in Billy the Kid . Fragmented "stingers", as Fauser called them, make the fast section

7854-406: The body as a whole. Developed by Enrico Cecchetti (1850–1928), this method is one known internationally for its intense reliance of the understanding of anatomy as it relates to classical ballet. The goal of this method is to instill important characteristics for the performance of ballet into students so that they do not need to rely on imitations of teachers. Important components for this method

7973-475: The characters. The two receive the blessings of the Pioneer Woman and the Revivalist. This section is reminiscent of the Cowgirl's music from Rodeo , or the soft parts of Lincoln Portrait for the love theme; near the end, the clarinet brings back the chorale, and the flute answers, a call and response between the Bride and the Husbandman. Throughout the episode, the Followers participate in various group solos;

8092-495: The company ran into financial and legal troubles. In her will, Graham left her legacy to Ron Protas giving him all rights to her choreography. His dispute with the Board of Directors came in the midst of financial troubles and talks of closing down the dance center. Protas responded by refusing to allow the company to perform Graham's works. This legal battle was fueled by the company's recent dry spell. Public funding had been cut for

8211-644: The concerns of ordinary people. This initiated the idea of music that was simple and accessible enough to be liked by the general public, a concept pioneered in his opera for children The Second Hurricane (1937) and his greatly successful ballet El Salón México (1936). This "ordinary music" idea is present in Appalachian Spring ; Copland remarked in a 1980 interview that the music was "plain, singing, comparatively uncomplicated and slightly folksy. Direct and approachable". The composer solidified his populist and Americana style with ballets like Billy

8330-479: The conflict of Appalachian Spring . The central conflict begins in the "Fear in the Night" episode, where the Revivalist delivers a haunting sermon . Howard Pollack argued that this scene represented the spirit of John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry , something that could cause the Husbandman to be drafted in the Civil War. Furthermore, the subsequent "Day of Wrath" episode can be seen as the Husbandman leaving for war, depicted with waves of goodbye. "Moment of Crisis"

8449-532: The contributors, Mrs. Wallace, made it possible for the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance find its current home at 316 East 63d Street. Many of Graham's early works were austere. She designed her own costumes and neglected scenery. In 1930, she choreographed "Lamentation", a piece in which the dancer's expressed emotion is aided by the Graham's choice in fabric. There are two major themes present in Graham's work: Amerindian experience and Greek mythology. Her work " Primitive Mysteries ", choreographed in 1931,

8568-539: The curves on a ballerina. Jewels and bedazzled costumes became much more popular. During the 20th century, ballet costumes transitioned back to the influence of Russian ballet. Ballerina skirts became knee-length tutus, later on in order to show off their precise pointe work. Colors used on stage costumes also became much more vibrant. Designers used colors such as red, orange, yellow, etc. to create visual expression when ballet dancers perform on stage. Professional dancers are generally not well paid, and earn less money than

8687-609: The dancers. European ballet was centered in the Paris Opera . During this era, skirts were raised a few inches off the ground. Flowers, flounces, ribbons, and lace emphasized this opulent feminine style, as soft pastel tones in citron, peach, pink, and pistachio dominated the color range. During the early 19th century, close-fitting body costumes, floral crowns, corsages, and jewels were used. Ideals of Romanticism were reflected through female movements. Costumes became much tighter as corsets started to come into use, to show off

8806-572: The development of modern American ballet; it and Copland's other Americana works represented the leftist national ideals important to the postwar era, but used traditional themes, steering away from the outwardly political works of many New York artists at the time. Lynn Garafola compared Copland and Graham's collaboration to that of Stravinsky and Diaghilev ; whereas Stravinsky composed purely Russian scores for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes , Copland composed American music for Graham's company, helping define American dance. Themes of war are present throughout

8925-554: The director of the Académie Royale de Musique ( Paris Opera ) from which the first professional ballet company , the Paris Opera Ballet , arose. Pierre Beauchamp served as Lully's ballet-master . Together their partnership would drastically influence the development of ballet, as evidenced by the credit given to them for the creation of the five major positions of the feet. By 1681, the first "ballerinas" took

9044-425: The early revisions were cut in the final production. Originally orchestrated for a thirteen-piece chamber orchestra, the score was arranged into various suites by Copland for different purposes; the original ballet featured eight episodes, three of which were cut in the well-known orchestral suite. The ballet takes place in a small Appalachian settlement in 19th-century Pennsylvania . There are four main characters:

9163-644: The emotions of individual characters. This non-literal plot allowed for free emotional interpretation by the audience. The Bride's movements featured quick patterns that stayed within an imaginary box around her. This contrasted with the Revivalist's strict posture and the flowing movements of the Pioneer Woman. One reviewer pointed out the solitude of the characters and its manifestation in their movements, writing, "The separateness of still figures... which their poses emphasize, suggests that people who live in these hills are accustomed to spending much of their time alone." Appalachian Spring premiered on October 30, 1944, at

9282-638: The expression danse classique also exists for the latter meaning, is less equivocal and is more commonly used when referring to the learning of this dance. Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Under Catherine de' Medici 's influence as Queen, it spread to France, where it developed even further. The dancers in these early court ballets were mostly noble amateurs. Ornamented costumes were meant to impress viewers, but they restricted performers' freedom of movement. The ballets were performed in large chambers with viewers on three sides. The implementation of

9401-411: The feeling of a Shaker meeting where the movement is strange and ordered and possessed or it could have the feeling of a negro church with the lyric ecstasy of the spiritual about it". The Bride dances her final solo and finishes by putting her hand to her lips and then reaching out to the sky. The Husbandman returns and holds her briefly, but the Revivalist comes and touches his shoulder. As the music from

9520-406: The final scenario and Copland's annotations in the score; for example, the closing love duet between the Bride and the Husbandman became a dance between the Revivalist and his four Followers. Regardless, Copland was not irritated by this, later commenting, "That kind of decision is the choreographer's, and it doesn't bother me a bit, especially when it works." The cast at the premiere starred Graham as

9639-548: The first neoclassical ballet. Apollo represented a return to form in response to Sergei Diaghilev 's abstract ballets. Balanchine worked with modern dance choreographer Martha Graham , and brought modern dancers into his company such as Paul Taylor , who in 1959 performed in Balanchine's Episodes . While Balanchine is widely considered the face of neoclassical ballet, there were others who made significant contributions. Frederick Ashton 's Symphonic Variations (1946)

9758-422: The group often features a "spiraling" motion, moving into a kneeling position. "Eden Valley" closes with the Followers returning to the bench, each taking a seat one-by-one. Illustrating the choreography's close connection to the music, the moment each Follower sits is cued by a short motif in the woodwinds. A playful, childlike melody springs from the clarinet, opening the first part of "Wedding Day" and signifying

9877-409: The hardships she faced, and that the following episodes are entirely her own experiences. Crist continues that when the opening themes are recalled at the end of the ballet, the Bride disconnects from the Pioneer Woman's memory, becoming her own individual memory; the Bride sits where the Pioneer Woman sat at the beginning, the context having shifted to a new time. Crist describes this as an embodiment of

9996-477: The link between wars among generations: as the youth during World War II saw similar circumstances to the generation of the Civil War, the Bride represents the common experiences of people living on the homefront during the 19th and 20th centuries. Graham's explanation for this was the fluidity of time, where younger generations feel the ramifications of things the older generations experienced. Shaker themes are also heavily present in Appalachian Spring . This idea

10115-454: The most "filmic" part of Copland's score. The Revivalist takes off his hat and approaches the bowing Husbandman and Bride. The Revivalist's four Followers surround him as he warns the couple of their eventual separation due to the war. His agonized, frenzied dance was informed by the "dark" experiences of Peter Sparling , a dancer in the company who would dance the role in later productions; his emotional interpretation influenced future dancers of

10234-485: The most widely known and performed ballet style is late Romantic ballet (or Ballet blanc ). Classical ballet is based on traditional ballet technique and vocabulary . Different styles have emerged in different countries, such as French ballet , Italian ballet , English ballet , and Russian ballet . Several of the classical ballet styles are associated with specific training methods, typically named after their creators (see below). The Royal Academy of Dance method

10353-412: The music, "Aaron Copland has written a score of fresh and singing beauty. It is, on its surface, a piece of early Americana, but in reality it is a celebration of the human spirit." The Dance Observer critic Robert Sabin wrote of the story, " Appalachian Spring works outward into the basic experiences of people living together, love, religious belief, marriage, children, work and human society." The dance

10472-410: The music, a completed score was still not in view, and the premiere was pushed to late 1944. Shortly before the premiere, Graham decided upon the title "Appalachian Spring". It was taken from the cycle of poems The Bridge by Hart Crane , an American poet also seeking to create unique American art; one of the poems, titled Powhatan's Daughter , contained the line "O Appalachian Spring!" Crane's work

10591-434: The music, such as the harmony and instrumentation. This technique was meant to depict the lives of various townspeople doing their daily rounds, while the Husbandman and the Bride are dancing joyfully. The two are strongly connected throughout the duet, signified by eye contact, ease of physical touch, and openness of the body. Partway through, the Revivalist and his Followers join in. The Revivalist solos in close alignment with

10710-460: The opening   ... strengthened by an elusive displacement of the beat", as Fauser described. The Pioneer Woman enters with deep anger, and after prayer, she enters the home. The Husbandman leaves the home and performs a leaping solo, where the music uses a distorted version of the A major "Wedding Day" music stacked atop B minor harmonies to evoke anguish as he waves goodbye and exits. The Bride opens "Moment of Crisis" by frantically running across

10829-410: The orchestral suite led to a number of other arrangements, including an arrangement of the full ballet for orchestra in 1954 and an arrangement of the "Simple Gifts" variations for band and later orchestra (1956 and 1967, respectively). In total, five versions of Appalachian Spring exist as created by Copland; listed in chronological order: the original ballet for 13 instruments, the suite for orchestra,

10948-627: The port de bras and the épaulement are performed, more rounded than when dancing in a Russian style, but not as rounded as the Danish style. The Vaganova method is a style of ballet training that emerged from Russian ballet , created by Agrippina Vaganova . After retiring from dance in 1916, Vaganova turned to teaching at the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1921. Her training method is now internationally recognized and her book, The Fundamentals of Classical Dance (1934),

11067-427: The right amount of focus at each stage of the student's career. These textbooks continue to be extremely important to the instruction of ballet today. The method emphasizes development of strength, flexibility, and endurance for the proper performance of ballet. She espoused the belief that equal importance should be placed on the arms and legs while performing ballet, as this will bring harmony and greater expression to

11186-422: The role. The Revivalist's solo uses violent shaking to relate the dance to traditional Shaker festivities; the shaking travels throughout the body, like a spirit trying to escape from the body. The demonstration scares the Bride and sends her into turmoil, but she quickly rejoins the Husbandman and accepts the risks of her love. In "Day of Wrath", Copland was "riffing rather aimeously of the arpeggiated polychord of

11305-593: The same cast. The debut show of the tour took place in Washington, D.C. , on January 23, 1945. The New York premiere of the ballet occurred days after Victory in Europe Day ; the ballet's American populist themes, combined with Copland winning the Pulitzer Prize for Music in the same week, caused this show to be even more successful. After every performance sold out, the New York run was extended by one night. Appalachian Spring remains an essential production in

11424-496: The same time, Copland incorporated relatable and accessible musical characteristics of the Americana style to increase his music's appeal to the general public; he first implemented this in earlier ballets like Billy the Kid and Rodeo . The initial scenario for Appalachian Spring devised by Graham was revised many times by both her and Copland; the title characters' names were changed numerous times and other characters from

11543-596: The scenario after the score was finished. The Younger Sister, the Two Children, and the Neighbors were all cut, and the rest of the cast was renamed: the Daughter to the Bride; the Citizen to the Husbandman; the Mother to the Pioneer Woman; and the Fugitive to the Revivalist . Four Followers of the Revivalist were added to the cast for a total of nine dancers in the ballet. The choreography often deviated from both

11662-408: The score for The North Star caused the beginning of his work to be delayed. Per Coolidge's commission, the orchestra was to be no bigger than twelve musicians. Copland originally planned to orchestrate it for double string quartet and piano, but later decided to add a double bass, flute, clarinet, and bassoon, a scoring similar to Chávez's work. During the 1940s, Copland spent much of his time on

11781-465: The score. Copland used the working title "Ballet for Martha" during the composition process. The original scenario, "House of Victory", used characters based on common American archetypes and was set during the Civil War , but also drew from Greek mythology and French poetry . Four main characters were present: the Mother, who represents the preindustrial American; the Daughter, a brave pioneer;

11900-712: The stage following years of training at the Académie. Ballet started to decline in France after 1830, but it continued to develop in Denmark, Italy, and Russia. The arrival in Europe of the Ballets Russes led by Sergei Diaghilev on the eve of the First World War revived interest in the ballet and started the modern era. In the twentieth century, ballet had a wide influence on other dance genres, Also in

12019-425: The stage, and the other women join in an anxious frenzy. The music becomes rushed and agitated into perpetual motion; consistent sixteenth-note patterns jump around the orchestra, with no sense of musical direction. The tonality is unstable and different from the common tonal language used throughout the rest of the score. The music begins to calm and the chorale returns as the Husbandman briefly comes back to dance with

12138-435: The stage. The four Followers join the Revivalist, who has observed the land with the Pioneer Woman. The two-minute opening has set up the themes present throughout the ballet, and Copland employed the upwards building of chords to depict a "nonmilitant fanfare ", as Graham described in the early scripts. An allegro melody bursts forth as the Daughter bounds from inside the home. The melodies of "Eden Valley", meant to express

12257-403: The start of festivities. Graham wanted the first part to have "a little sense of a County Fair , a little of a revival meeting, a party, a picnic"; Copland achieves this by relating the music to square dancing and fiddling . The music becomes heavier and the jagged rhythms return for the Husbandman's Davy Crockett -esque solo; the love theme returns in the calmer music as the Husbandman carries

12376-546: The technique she developed. Early works are a part of the "long woolen period" and include works such as "Primitive Mysteries" and " El Penitente ". Later, Graham turned to America for inspiration and created works such as "American Document", "American Provincials", " Appalachian Spring ", "Letter to the World" and " Salem Shore ". Later she turned to Hebrew and Greek mythology for " Cave of the Heart ", " Night Journey ", " Errand Into

12495-861: The twentieth century, ballet took a turn dividing it from classical ballet to the introduction of modern dance , leading to modernist movements in several countries. Famous dancers of the twentieth century include Anna Pavlova , Galina Ulanova , Rudolf Nureyev , Maya Plisetskaya , Margot Fonteyn , Rosella Hightower , Maria Tall Chief , Erik Bruhn , Mikhail Baryshnikov , Suzanne Farrell , Gelsey Kirkland , Natalia Makarova , Arthur Mitchell , and Jeanne Devereaux . Stylistic variations and subgenres have evolved over time. Early, classical variations are primarily associated with geographic origin. Examples of this are Russian ballet , French ballet , and Italian ballet . Later variations, such as contemporary ballet and neoclassical ballet, incorporate both classical ballet and non-traditional technique and movement. Perhaps

12614-741: The work in the following seasons. The suite for orchestra premiered in October of that year with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Artur Rodzinski , and was well-received. Other American orchestras expressed interest in the suite, with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra , Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra , Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra scheduling it that season. Its great success made

12733-418: The working foot typically. This method also incorporates very basic use of arms, pirouettes from a low développé position into seconde, and use of fifth position bras en bas for the beginning and end of movements. The Bournonville method produces dancers who have beautiful ballon ("the illusion of imponderable lightness" ). The Royal Academy of Dance method , also referred to as the English style of ballet,

12852-506: The world have incorporated their own cultures. As a result, ballet has evolved in distinct ways. A ballet as a unified work comprises the choreography and music for a ballet production. Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained ballet dancers . Traditional classical ballets are usually performed with classical music accompaniment and use elaborate costumes and staging, whereas modern ballets are often performed in simple costumes and without elaborate sets or scenery. Ballet

12971-419: The world. The orchestral suite is divided into eight sections, named by their tempo markings instead of episode titles in the ballet: "Prologue", "Eden Valley", "Wedding Day", "Interlude", and "The Lord's Day". In the suites, Copland omitted the conflict of the story ("Fear in the Night", "Day of Wrath", and "Moment of Crisis"), making these episodes unfamiliar to the public and seldom recorded. The popularity of

13090-413: Was "comprehensible even to the bored businessman". Copland himself had a modest opinion of the premiere; a week later, he wrote in a letter: "People seemed to like it so I guess it was all right." The great demand for tickets caused a repeat of the October 30 program to occur the following evening. Shortly after the premiere, the Graham Company took Appalachian Spring on tour across the United States with

13209-483: Was a great inspiration to Graham while she wrote the various scripts. To construct the set, Graham hired Isamu Noguchi , a sculptor and common collaborator with the company. While planning, she took Noguchi to the Museum of Modern Art and showed him Alberto Giacometti 's sculpture The Palace at 4 a.m. as a reference for what she wanted: something depicting the inside and outside of a house without actually dividing it,

13328-507: Was added: a Native American girl to represent the land, associated with the story of Pocahontas . The Native American girl was meant to act as a theatrical device, interacting with everyone in the ballet without being acknowledged, but the idea was scrapped in Copland's final composition. Additionally, Graham planned for the Mother to speak excerpts from the Book of Genesis throughout, "not in

13447-434: Was all female until she created her first male-female duet in 1938, “ American Document ”. In the movement entitled ‘Puritan Episode’ she danced with her future husband, Erick Hawkins. Hawkins became her lead male dancer for the company and her frequent dance partner. The two danced together in her most famous Americana piece “Appalachian Spring”. The piece premiered in 1944, set to music by Aaron Copland. After Graham's death

13566-508: Was also praised; Martin continued, "There is throughout the work a very moving sense of the future, of the fine and simple idealism which animates the highest human motives." The dance critic Walter Terry praised Graham in particular, writing in 1953, "Miss Graham brought to the role a wonderful radiance which dominated the entire ballet." The group of dancers was commended for being well-trained and enthusiastic. Copland's idea for ordinary music continued to be popular; one reviewer commented that it

13685-484: Was an artistic movement of classical ballet and several productions remain in the classical repertoire today. The Romantic era was marked by the emergence of pointe work, the dominance of female dancers, and longer, flowy tutus that attempt to exemplify softness and a delicate aura. This movement occurred during the early to mid-nineteenth century (the Romantic era ) and featured themes that emphasized intense emotion as

13804-571: Was created after her visit to the American Southwest, and is a re-enactment of the ritual in honor of the Virgin Mary. It is set in three movements: the first movement is based around the birth of Jesus, the second Jesus' crucifixion, and the third Mary going to heaven. Her work “ Frontier ” is the first piece she created with scenery: a fence and two ropes. It was a female solo that premiered in 1935 with music by Horst. Her company

13923-430: Was established in 1920 by Genee, Karsavina, Bedells, E Espinosa, and Richardson. The goal of this method is to promote academic training in classical ballet throughout Great Britain. This style also spread to the United States, and is widely utilized still today. There are specific grade levels which a student must move through in order to complete training in this method. The key principle behind this method of instruction

14042-408: Was inspired by the story of Medea but set in 19th-century New England . Copland found it "too severe", and the idea was given to another Coolidge commissionee, Carlos Chávez . In May 1943, Graham sent Copland a scenario titled "House of Victory", about a newlywed couple in a small 19th-century Pennsylvania settlement. Copland revised the scenario before composing the music, though his occupation with

14161-406: Was not Graham's original intention. Much of the contrast between female and male characters was intentional. While the female characters remained bouncy and light, the male characters were stiff and took up much space. The press described the choreography as simple and precise. Despite being set during such a scenario, the choreography does not explicitly depict a wedding; rather, the dance expresses

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