LAMENTATIONWCED GRADE 12 REVISION 2012

CHOREOGRAPHED BY

MARTHA GRAHAM FIRST PERFORMED

IN 1930

NEARLY

82 YEARS AGO

INTENTION - REASON FOR CREATING THIS WORK

• Lamentation is an abstract

solo piece originally performed

by Martha Graham

• Graham was concerned with

the sufferings of the human mind

• Her reason for creating this piece was to explore emotion through movement

• To show that a person should not be ashamed to grieve

In her own words:

• “Lamentation, my dance of 1930, is a solo piece in which I wear a long tube of material to indicate the tragedy that obsesses the body, the ability to stretch inside your own skin, to witness and test the perimeters and boundaries of grief, which is honorable and universal.”(Martha Graham, Blood Memory)

SYNOPSIS/ intent‘LAMENT’ means to grieve

The theme is grief and how grief can affect one’s mind, body and soul

We all experience grief a deep feeling of loss

at some point of our life

The dance is divided into the three stages of grief

1. A period of disbelief

cannot believe it has happened – denial

2. A period of reality

emotions of anger and sadness –

this has really happened – acceptance

3. A period of consolation

turning to others for help – realising that one

must endure grief on your own and work

through it - make meaning of it

PRODUTION

ELEMENTS USED

AND THEIR

SYMBOLIC

MEANINGS

Note the bench,

the lighting and

the empty stage

COSTUME The dancer is costumed in

a tube of purple

stretch fabric

symbolic of her own

body trapped

within her grief

Only her face, hands and

feet are visible

This symbolises how we express

ourselves mostly in every daymovements and gestures

Every sharp angular movement that the dancer makes Is symbolic of the terrible war being fought within her -

Of her fight to come to terms with reality –

That this has really happened

Rocking stiffly from side to side

she tugs, pulls and pushes at the confining fabric with her hands, elbows, knees and shoulders

to express her emotions

Symbolic of the despair she feels inside of her

emotions

SET DESIGN / PROPS

• The only prop is a wooden bench

• This is central to the whole dance as the

dancer does not leave the bench once

• This symbolises her grief, how she cannot

put it behind her – she is tied to it

• The stage is empty

• This symbolises how one must ultimately

deal with grief and its emotions alone

LIGHTING

• The stage is dark except for a single white spot-light above the dancer

• Symbolic of how the grieving woman is alone and suffering

• The white light creates a feeling of reality as it is harsh and unforgiving

MUSIC

• This is a classical

solo piano piece

• The music plays an

important role in setting

the atmosphere

for this dance work

It follows the three stages of grief performed by the

dancer

Composer - Zoltan Kodaly

1. As the dancer begins the chords are gentle – symbolic of disbelief

2. They become more dissonant (harsh) as the dancer fights against reality It builds up to the climax in which the dancer has to face reality

3. The music eventually subsides (becomes softer) as she realises she has to deal with her grief on her own

MOVEMENT VOCABULARY

• Graham was experimenting with a new dance vocabulary

• The dancer would reflect her inner thoughts through movements of the body

• The movements were harsh and angular showing grief and despair - which are never pretty

• The three stages of grief are portrayed through movement

• Her use of contraction and release are evident throughout the work

• Graham used angular, explosive and stylised gestures

• She took risks in breaking with tradition and gave contemporary dance a new and different direction

Her dance language was intended to express

shared human emotions and experiences