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The Martha Graham Dance Company, the oldest dance troupe in America, presented an excellent program at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts featuring three very contrasting dances from various periods of Graham’s choreographic career: the historical Appalachian Spring (1944), the erotic Embattled Garden (1958), and the epic Sketches from “Chronicle” (1936).

Appalachian Spring was the first dance commissioned by the U.S. Government, and premiered in 1944 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. It is widely regarded as one of the Graham’s classics: a beautifully crafted ballet where the history of America is commemorated in the form of dance. Two remarkable artists – composer Aaron Copland and sculptor Isamu Noguchi – immeasurably contributed to the success of this work. The beloved score for which Copland received the Pulitzer Prize is a masterpiece on its own; and Noguchi’s modern set design is essential in creating on stage the atmosphere of unbound openness and freedom that is America.

The story takes place in the 1900s in the rural Pennsylvania, and tells about a young couple embarking on the quest for happiness on the new land. “Appalachian Spring is essentially a dance of place. You choose a piece of land. Part of the house goes up. You dedicate it. The questing spirit is there and the sense of establishing roots,” is how Graham envisioned this dance.

In Appalachian Spring, the choreographer offers a compassionate insight into the universe of emotions and feelings of the main characters: the Bride and the Husbandman. The beauty and strength of Graham’s work lie in her ability to reveal their deep emotions and most cherished dreams with humility, honesty and passion.

The choreography has a unique, museum-like quality. This dance evokes a series of stylized vintage paintings in which one or a group of its personages come alive and engage in passionate and exuberant dancing while the other remain absolutely still.

The dance starts with a ceremonial procession of the characters, dressed in period clothes, slowly entering the stage.

The Bride is overwhelmed with uncertainties and worries about the future and looking for support and assurance. By contrast, The Husbandman exhibits determination and optimism. He feels at home and looks forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead. There is a moment when he gently caresses his new house and then, overjoyed with pride and happiness, he bursts in a blissful little tap dance. The newlyweds are full of hopes and deeply in love. Their duets – at times of courtly nature with formal bows and reverences, but mostly lively folk dances with exuberant spins and turns – vividly express the couple’s happiness and mutual affection.

The stately Pioneer Woman is a symbolic figure. She epitomizes hope and courage. At the same time, she has a beautiful, poetic aura about her. Her movements possess regal quality: majestic and charismatic, yet powerful and assured. The young couple repeatedly turns to her for advice and blessing.

Clad in black and wearing a wide brimmed missionary hat, the Revivalist is a darkly mysterious character. In the beginning, he assumes a statue-like pose and pays no attention to the celebration. Later, he joins his faithful, ecstatic Followers – a quartet of women in light blue satin dresses and white bonnets – in joyful and comical dances. Suddenly, he delivers a monologue - an unexpected outburst of anger and bitterness – bringing the idyll to a hasty stop. His brief agonizing solo, so contrasting in the mood with the rest of the piece, is reminiscent of an attack where he accuses the young couple of all earthy sins. Graham created her most challenging choreography for this solo, in which rapid, furious movements reflect the ominous inflections of the score. Thankfully, the Revivalist’s fury evaporates as suddenly as it explodes, and the festivity resumes.

In the final image, the young couple is comfortably situated in their new home, as if waiting for a photographer to take their first family portrait.

The dancers delivered deeply engaging and committed performances. The lovely, petite Blakeley White-McGuire was perfectly cast for the role of the Bride. She is small-framed and has very expressive eyes. Her movements were always clear and well nuanced, never rushed. She danced with genuine tenderness and affection, making her heroine immediately likable. David Zurak was a caring and thoughtful but timid Husbandman. There was a special sense of goodness and warm-heartedness about him, although I would have liked to see more resolution, more power in his character. Zurak wasn’t able to convince me that his hero is the determined breadwinner and strong enough to overcome the challenges of the new life. Maurizio Nardi was excellent as the Revivalist, and I truly marveled at the performance of Katherine Crockett as the Pioneer Woman.

According to Ms. Graham, love is a battlefield in the Garden of Eden. In her mythological thriller, Embattled Garden (1958), the choreographer offers her take on the dramatic relationship among the four principal characters: Adam (Tadej Brdnik), his ex-wife Lilith (Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch), Eve (Miki Orihara), and the Stranger (Lloyd Knight). Graham is known for her deeply provocative, erotic choreography. With consummate artistry and theatricality, she was able to “place on stage what people hide in their deepest thoughts” as no one else could. To emphasize the thorny nature of this story of love, seduction, betrayal, revenge, and forgiveness, Isamu Noguchi designed a captivating two-piece set: a lonely “forbidden” tree and the garden itself – an intricate podium with sharp, long poles which evokes a prison cell. According to the creators, this Garden is not a dreamy oasis; it’s a place where human desires and sins are washed in sweat and exposed to the bare bones. I couldn’t help but admire the outstanding performance of the entire cast. The flamenco-flavored music by Spanish composer Carlos Surinach brought an air of excitement to this irresistibly entertaining dance.

The triptych, Sketches from “Chronicle” (1936), provided a powerful conclusion to the evening. This compelling anti-war piece features a squad of fearless women, clothed in long black dresses, engaging in what can be described as a spellbinding ritual. They assemble and disassemble in imaginative patterns, form swirling circles, and engage in spiritual rites. In the opening solo, titled Spectre – 1914, featured Jennifer DePalo bathing in the multi-layered black and red fabric of her voluminous skirt, with her gorgeous blond hair falling down like a golden waterfall. She created an image so visually striking and astonishing in its beauty and power that it was undoubtedly one of the most memorable moments of the evening.