>> Announcer: From the Library
of Congress in Washington, DC.
[ Music ]
>> Eilber: I'm Janet Eilber
and I'm the artistic director
of the Martha Graham Dance Company.
And, it's an important anniversary
because the company has hit
its 90th anniversary season.
We've been curating the
Graham legacy and a big part
of that curation has been the
commissioning of new work.
The classics bring a certain
context to the new work
and the new work brings fresh
eyes to the Graham classics.
There's a real conversation
going on.
>> Lidberg: My name is Pontus.
I'm a choreographer and a filmmaker.
I'm creating a new piece for
the Martha Graham Dance Company
>> Eilber: Martha Graham was part
of a movement in all the art forms
to sort of find our
country's own voice.
She took America's frontierism
and created a new forceful
style of dance.
It was so influential that
around the world today directors
and choreographers-even
if they don't know it-have
built upon techniques
that Martha Graham pioneered.
>> Lidberg: I can't even say all the
influence Martha Graham's had on me,
because it's probably
more than I can name.
But, for example, the first
contemporary dance schooling I had
was Graham technique.
>> Eilber: Her movement is very
percussive, geometric-based
on her famous contraction and
release, which comes from the center
of the body, from the torso.
She was also interested
in sculpting the space.
This was part of her revolution to
not just dance on an empty stage,
in particular with her
work with Isamu Noguchi.
The Noguchi sets-of course-would
create pathways for Martha;
would create different
levels she could use.
The emotional message of her
work was not only in the movement
of the dancers, but in the
overall look of the stage.
The relationship with the Library
of Congress began when once
of the first men in Martha's
company wrote to the Library
and got them interested in
commissioning new works with some
of the top composers of the day.
Aaron Copland, Hindemith, Chávez,
Milhaud- a remarkable
series of commissions.
And, for our 90th anniversary
season the Library has proposed
that we choose a choreographer
who will then choose some
of the music of Irving Fine.
Irving Fine was a contemporary
of Aaron Copland.
In fact, he was at the premiere of
"Appalachian Spring" at the Library.
So, Pontus Lidberg
agreed to this challenge,
to take music from the
mid-twentieth century
and make a twenty-first
century piece.
>> Lidberg: I was asked to
create a new dance to the music
of Irving Fine and I'm using the
"Notturno" for strings and harp.
To work with a mid-century
artist like Irving Fine,
I thought it was important
to also put a contemporary
comment into the creation.
So, I chose the "Notturno" and
expanded it by reordering the music
into a cyclical structure
rather than a linear one.
You can always put in a comment.
You can always be in
relation to the music rather
than being literal about it.
And that's what I'm trying to do.
>> Eilber: Sometimes
I will give an impetus
and then I will see
what the dancers do
with that impetus and
start guiding them.
And it's more fun for me,
because that way their
personality is really part
of the creative process.
And the Graham dancers are...I
mean virtuous in what they do.
These dancers are not afraid
to express with their faces
and their bodies-they go for it.
It gives me a lot to work with.
My understanding of Irving Fine is
he is someone who made a synthesis
of various ideas throughout
his career.
He was very much interested
in neoclassicism, but
also serial music.
He scored different modalities.
So, in a way you could say the
Graham Company [and Library
of Congress] commissioning
me to create something
to his music is also a synthesis of
different ideas and different times.
>> Lidberg: The Library of
Congress has a long history
of commissioning dance and music,
and they have a long
history with Martha Graham.
So, I feel very honored to
be part of this tradition.
>> Eilber: It's just a wonderful
bridge to the commissions
of the past to one that's
today in the 21st century.
We're going to premiere
Pontus' work of course
at the Library of Congress.
And then it will be a part of our
New York season on April 18th,
which is the date 90 years ago
when Martha Graham had her
first concert in New York City.
It's the Martha Graham Dance
Company's actual 90th birthday.
[ Music ]
>> Announcer: This has
been a presentation
of the Library of Congress.
Visit us at LOC.gov.