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Tiffany A. LaPlanche Reviews Martha Graham at The New Victory Theater

Dance is an action performed by movement. It can be used to entertain or show expression. Martha Grahamn produces both factors of dance in the 2005 New York Season Dance show. Stories about Adam and Eve, the Greek tale of the Mentor, and a love story all come to life on stage.

You are seated into red comfortable velvet seats where you are to see the show. The seats make you feel like you deserve to be there and welcome you with open arms. As you sit down you will be amazed at the carvings of the theatre. With the colors white and gold, columns are created at the side of the stage and Muslim buildings lying on top of them. There are also windows on top of the stage witch are decorated nicely into a 6 sided star. The theatre is set up into different sections like an opera or Broadway show. If you haven't been to one of those shows then think of a movie theatre.

Even an orchestra is included. As the dancers act out the orchestra creates a mood at the bottom of the stage for each act. Going along with the dances every step of the way. After each act there is an Intermission. So you can always welcome yourself to a snack outside the theatre. While you are outside, you can check out past shows and who danced in them from before by looking at some picture on the wall. As you go back into your seats your eyes will be directed to the stage where you see a big red curtain, and simply wait for it to lift and let the show begin.

There are three acts. Embattled Garden, Errand into the Maze, and Appalachian Spring. All of these performances are acted out by fantastic and skilled dancers. Martha Grahamn, the founder of this company, choreographed all the dances you see upon the stage. She entertains you in the most remarkable way and makes sure you enjoy the show with every aspect the dances create. She deserves all her credit for her wonderful work.

Embattled Garden is about the story of Adam and Eve. Adam (played be Tradej Brdnik) is said to have a first wife named Lilith (played by Elizabeth Auclair) and a second named Eve (played by Alessandra Prosperi who is a New Work debut). In the Embattled Garden a stranger (played by Christophe Jeannot) is trying to steal Adamâs woman. It starts off with Adam and the stranger dancing about and fighting each other for Eve. While doing flips and banging his hands, Adam shows anger and love for Eve. The stranger already took his Lilith and he will not allow him to take Eve. Lilith as a memory to him dancing around him as the stranger tries to gain Eve, Adam keeps strong and defeats the stranger, remaining in the embattled garden with Eve. This act to me was quit interesting. The dresses the women wore created a beautiful movement as they dance and the men where really flexible that they made your eyes glued to the stage.

In the Errand into the Maze a women is lost into the darkness. She doesn't know her way around and just wanders about. She is later on face to face with a Mentor. Half beast half man. Once again Elizabeth Auclair performs, but this time as the women. As she tip toes through a road of string an evil beast comes out and tries to scare her. At first she is trapped by him but manages to scar him away by jumping on his back and battling him down. The beast runs away but comes two more times to be victorious in this battle. The woman uses the string, or the road, to trap him. The Mentor rolling on the floor acting like a beast and she killing him by suffocating him and getting him trapped with the string creates a dance that involves a lot of action. When she kills him she is a bit sad even tough she was afraid of him and just wanted to get out of the darkness.

And the third performance Appalachian Spring. A love story about a religious husband and wife building a house with joy and love; by a revivalist and his followers in their shouts of exaltation; by a pioneering woman with her dreams of the Promised Land. This act is played by Virginie Mecene (the bride), David Zurak (husbandman), Maurizio Nardi (the Revivalist), and Heidi Stoeckley (the pioneering woman). All these people are rejoicing in the springtime while building a house. The Bride falls in love with a man the later on becomes her Husband, the Pioneer woman and Revivalist accompany the Bride to build their house but find out about her little affair. The Pioneer woman thinks it's alright for them to like each other, but the Revivalist thinks otherwise. With a little perjuring, and the followers clapping there hands and twirling about, the Revivalist changes his mind and the happy couple end up married. The followers where my favorite dancers because they performed as a group and showed a lot of expression.

As the crowd cheers and the curtains closes, the show ends. The dancers do not come out to take their last bows unfortunately, but they all did a wonderful job. I did enjoy my time when I went there and I learned that playing a part in a show to get a story into people's heads, doesn't necessary mean you have to talk or sing. It can be expressed in a different way, just like dance.