美国名人舞蹈家和编舞家玛莎·葛兰姆.docx

美国名人舞蹈家和编舞家玛莎葛兰姆MarthaGraham,1894-1991:TheMotherofModernDanceplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:32repeatByElizabethStern2008-8-2VOICEONE:l,mSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndI'mBarbaraKleinwithPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.Today,weexplorethelifeofdancerandchoreographerMarthaGraham.Shecreatedalmosttwohundreddancepieces.SheisoftencalledtheMotherofModernDance.Herinfluenceontheworldofdancecontinuestoday.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:MarthaGrahamInthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury,womenlikeIsadoraDuncanandRuthSaintDeniswantedtocreateanewformofdance.DuncanandSaintDenisfeltrestrictedbyballet.Moderndancewascreatedasarevoltagainstballet.MarthaGrahamwasoneofthemostfamousdancersandcreatorsofdance,calledchoreographers.ShebroughtmoderndancetoanewlevelofpopularityinAmericanculture.Shecreatedanewlanguageofmovementthatexpressedpowerfulemotions.Shestartedtraditionsthatarestillusedinmoderndancetoday.Theyincludeexpressivemovementsofthebodytotelladramaticstoryzspecialmusic,lighting,stagedesignandcostumes.VOICETWO:MarthaGrahamwasborninthesmalltownofAllegheny,Pennsylvaniaineighteenninety-four.AfterMarthaturnedfourteenyearsold,herfamilymovedtoSantaBarbara,California.WhiletravelingacrosstheMidwest,Marthaenjoyedthewide,openspacesofnature.ShealsoenjoyedthebeautifulflowersandplantsinCalifornia.Thefree,expressivemovementsofmoderndancewereclearlyinfluencedbythebeautyofnatureGrahamobserved.VOICEONE:Earlierinherlife,however,Marthadidnotknowthatshewouldbecomeadancer.Herfatherwasadoctorandherfamilywasveryreligious.Theyweremembersoftheupperclassanddidnotacceptdanceasanartform.Still,innineteenten,Martha*sfathertookhertoseeadanceperformancebyRuthSaintDeniszoneofthefirstmoderndancersinAmerica.Marthawassixteenandshedecidedthenthatshewantedtobecomeadancer.VOICETWO:RuthSaintDenisandIsadoraDuncanwereatthecenterofattentioninmoderndance.Theyestablishedsomeofthetraditionsweseetoday.Forexample,Duncanwasfamousforstartingthetraditionofnotwearingdanceshoeswhileperforming.SaintDeniswasfamousforcreatingdancesinfluencedbyothercultures.ShestudieddancefromcountriessuchasMexicoandEgypt,insteadoftheEuropeancountrieswhereballethadstarted.MarthaGrahamtookanimmediateinterestinthisnewartform.VOICEONE:Martha'Sparents,however;didnotapproveofhersuddendesiretodance.Atthistime,peoplesawAmericandanceasalowerartform.Grahamchosetofollowherdreamofdancing,eventhoughshewasconsideredtoooldtobegindancing.Shewasinherearlytwentieswhenshebeganstudyingdanceinnineteensixteen.SheattendedtheschoolcreatedbyRuthSaintDenisandherhusband,TedShawninLosAngeles,California.AttheDenishawnDanceSchoolzGrahamworkedveryhardtoimproveherabilitytodance.Shetrainedherbodytobecomestrongenoughtomeetthedifficultdemandsofdance.SheperformedwiththeDenishawndancecompanyforseveralyearsbeforemovingtoNewYorkCity.There,Grahamperformedinshowsbutshewantedtomakegreaterexperimentswithdance.VOICETWO:MarthaGrahamstartedteachingdanceattheEastmanSchoolofMusicinRochester,NewYork.LatershereturnedtoNewYorkCitytoteachatCarnegieHall.Shebegantochoreograph,orcreatethestepsofdances.Inordertoexpressherselffreely,shedecidedtoestablishherowndancecompanyandschool.Innineteentwenty-sixshestartedtheMarthaGrahamCenterofContemporaryDance.Sheenjoyedhavingherowncompanyofstudentstoperformherdances.Grahamproducedadancecalled"Heretic"innineteentwenty-nine.Sheworeallwhiteanddancedagainstawallofdancerswearingallblack.GrahambegantoworkwithmusiccomposerLouisHorst.Sheworkedwithhimuntilhediedinnineteensixty-four.Grahamoncesaidthat,withoutHorstzshewouldhavefeltlost.VOICEONE:Innineteenthirty-six,Grahamcreated"Chronicle,"oneofhermostimportantdances."Chronicle"wasinfluencedbycurrenteventsincludingtheGreatDepressionandtheSpanishCivilWar.Thedanceexpressedsadnessandloneliness.Atthistime,showingstrongemotionsindancewasveryrare.GrahamalsocreateddancesbasedonancientGreektragicstoriesandfamousfemaleheroines.Atfirst,peopledidnotreactwelltoGraham*Sstyleofdancing.ItwasverydifferentfromEuropeanballet,whichwasmorecommonlyaccepted.Graham,Sdanceswerepowerful,withstrongandsharpmovements.Someofthemovementsinvolvedcontractingandreleasingpartsofthebody,usingthearmsindramaticmovementsandfallingtothefloor.Thesemovementsarestillusedinmoderndancetoday.VOICETWO:Innineteenthirty-eight,PresidentFranklinRoosevelt,Swife,EleanorRoosevelt,invitedMarthaGrahamtoperformattheWhiteHouse.Shecreatedadancecalled"AmericanDocument."GrahamlaterdancedattheWhiteHouseforsevenotherpresidents.Innineteenforty-four,MarthaGrahamcreated"AppalachianSpring,"oneofhermostfamousdances.IttellsthestoryofaweddingamongearlyAmericansettlers.AaronCoplandcomposedthismusicfor"AppalachianSpring."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:MarthaGrahamwithBertramRossInnineteenfifty-one,GrahamwasamongthepeoplewhoestablishedthedanceprogramattheJuilliardSchoolinNewYorkCity.Itisstilloneofthebestartsschoolsinthecountry.Manyfamousartistshavebeguntheircareersbystudyingthere.Grahamcreatedherlargestdanceinnineteenfifty-eight.Shenamedit"Clytemnestra/'andusedmusicfromtheEgyptiancomposerHalimEl-Dabh.Grahamworkedwithotherfamousandinfluentialpeopleintheworldofdance.Manyofherstudentsbecamefamousdancersandchoreographers.Shealsotaughtmovementtofamouspeople,includingsingerMadonna,actressBetteDavisandfilmdirectorWoodyAllen.VOICETWO:SomeofherdanceswerefilmedandmadeintoaDVDcalled"MarthaGraham:DanceonFilm."ThisisacollectionofthreeprogramsGrahammadeforAmericanpublictelevisioninthenineteenfiftiesandsixties."ADancer,SWorld"isanintroductiontoGrahamandherwork.Shetellsaboutherdancesandherdancegroupshowssomeoftheirmethods.TheDVDalsoincludesfilmsoftwoofherdances,"AppalachianSpring"and"NightJourney."VOICEONE:Grahamcontinuedtodancepasttheageofseventy.Onceagain,shewasmetwithcriticismfrompeoplewhocametowatchhershows.YoungerpeopleknewthatGrahamwasanimportantinfluencebuttheydidnotunderstandthemeaningbehindherdances.Grahambegantosufferemotionally.Shebegantodrinktoomuchalcohol.Shelaterwroteabookaboutherself,called"BloodMemory."Inherbook,shewrotethatsheperformedforthelasttimeinnineteenseventy,whenshewasseventy-sixyearsold.TwoyearslaterGrahamstoppeddrinkingalcohol.Shewentbacktoherdancecompanytochoreographmoredances.Thefinaldanceshecompletedwascalled"MapleLeafRag,"whichshefinishedinnineteenninety.ScottJopIincomposedthemusic.(MUSIC:"MapleLeafRag")VOICETWO:PresidentGeraldFordpresentsMarthaGrahamwiththeMedalofFreedomonOctober15,1976MarthaGrahamreceivedmanyawardsduringherlifetime,includingthePresidentialMedalofFreedominnineteenseventy-six.Shewasthefirstdancertoreceivethecountry*shighestcivilianhonor.Shediedinnineteenninety-oneattheageofninety-six.Innineteenninety-eight,Timemagazinelistedherasthe"DanceroftheCentury"andasoneofthemostimportantpeopleofthetwentiethcentury.TheMarthaGrahamDanceCompanystillperformsherdancesinNewYorkandaroundtheworld.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyElizabethStern.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.I'mSteveEmber.VOICETWO:Andl,mBarbaraKlein.YoucanlearnaboutotherinterestingAmericansatourWebsite,.JoinusnextweekforPeopleInAmerica,inVOASpecialEnglish.