Dance Spotlight is seeking $30,000 post-production money for the first of 3 DVDs to document Martha Graham's truly revolutionary technique.
Donations are tax deductible.
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Martha Graham was an
American modern dancer who was the equivalent in dance to what Pablo Picasso
was for the visual arts, Stravinsky was to music, or Frank Lloyd Wright was for
architecture. Martha Graham, legendary dancer, choreographer, lived from
1894-1991. She was a true pioneer in the development of modern dance. She
created her own unique technique. Her company was founded in 1926 and is the oldest in the U.S. and is still performing today. In 1976, President Ford awarded her the
highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom and declared Martha a national
treasure. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan awarded her the United States Medal
of the Arts.
Dancers study and perform her technique all over the world.
Yet it hasn't been documented completely or comprehensively in a way to
preserve it and its integrity for the generations of dancers to come.
With each generation of dancers, changes and new interpretations alter
it. Our goal is to create an accurate record of the original movement
vocabulary before elements are lost or evolved beyond recognition so dancers
can continue to learn and perform this marvelous technique and Martha Graham's
choreography. The body, the weight, the centering are different in the
Graham technique than in other techniques and its uniqueness needs and deserves
to be preserved.
This is an extensive undertaking. We are working in
collaboration with the Martha Graham Dance Company and Miki Orihara, a 26 year
veteran of the Graham Company. Over 3 years, 3 interactive DVDs and digital
files will be produced with detailed explanation about each of the exercises.
After raising money from The New York State Council of the Arts and several
foundations, in November 2012, the movement vocabulary for the first DVD was
recorded at the Kaatsbaan International Dance Center, New York. The dancers
spent days in targeted rehearsals with a final week at Kaatsbaan before the taping. We are now seeking post-production money to complete
the first stage of this project - the Beginner Level.
This is why we need your help. ![]()
We appreciate any
donation to make this documentation possible. The donations will pay for the editing of the footage of the exercises as they are performed and then the editing of a second video level of information about each exercise that can be accessed interactively as one views the video. Plus, the funding will cover the costs of the composer for the accompanying music, the recording of the voice over instructions and comments and the final audio mix. Since Dance Spotlight is a 501(c)(3) corporation, all donations are tax deductible.
This beginner level DVD
will be followed by Intermediate and Advanced Technique level DVDs and digital
files. We are targeting the end of 2013 to release this first DVD.
This project will provide greater knowledge of and access worldwide to this
extraordinary legacy.
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening
that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of
you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never
exist through any other medium and it will be lost." Martha Graham.
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Our Company, Dance Spotlight: The Filmmakers
Dance Spotlight is dedicated to preserving performing dance
techniques for dancers, teachers, scholars and performers of all types and to
help make dance appealing and accessible to broader audiences. We produce
technique and class videos to assure that these valuable artistic contributions
are not lost. Both of us, the directors of Dance Spotlight, Jeanne Suggs
and Babette Coffey-Fisch, are former dancers who love dance and started our
work to document techniques with the Lester Horton technique. Dance Spotlight has documented
The Lester Horton Technique with former and current Alvin Ailey Company
dancers. We have produced 3 technique and 4 class videos of the Horton
technique. With that completed we wanted to next document the Graham
technique, a much larger undertaking.
The Impact
The documentation is capturing the anatomical direction that was
essential to Martha Graham. The DVD content is designed to enable dancers
to perform the technique, demonstrating every aspect of movement that a dancer
requires. The DVDs will teach the language of the technique so dancers can use
it to either express the emotions of the repertory or to create new works.
The Graham technique is taught in major dance schools,
universities, colleges, and dance companies around the world. This
project will provide greater knowledge of and access to this extraordinary
legacy and will be a lasting cultural gift to future generations.
Choice of Photos as donation perks:
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Photos by: Matt Trent and Julio Enrique Rivera