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DAY IN THE LIFE OF DANCE: Sneak Preview of "We The People" by Jamar Roberts for the Martha Graham Dance Company
By Toussaint Jeanlouis/ Follow Toussaint on Instagram:@creatous
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Published on February 23, 2024
Photo by Melissa Sherwood
We The People by Jamar Roberts
Music by: Rhiannon Giddens | Arranged by: Gabe Witcher
Dancers: So Young An, James Anthony, Ane Arrieta, Alesia Crognale-Roberts, Laurel Dalley-Smith, Meagan King, Lloyd Knight, Jacob Larsen, Devin Loh, Marcia Memoli, Anne Souder, Richard Villaverde, and Leslie Andrea Williams
Performance Dates:
March 22, 2024: Modlin Center for the Arts, Richmond, VA
April 5, 2024: Carolina Performing Arts Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill, NC
April 13, 2024: Hylton Performing Arts Center at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
April 17–20, 2024: New York City Center (TICKETS)
We The People will premiere this year in the first of three seasons honoring the 100th anniversary of the Martha Graham Dance Company in 2026. "American Legacies," the theme of 2023-24, highlights Graham’s social activism, Americana, and modernism with classic works that include Appalachian Spring (1944), Dark Meadow (1946), Maple Leaf Rag (1990), and a new production of Rodeo by Agnes DeMille's Rodeo (1942). Janet Eilber, artistic director of the company, champions these three seasons as opportunities to create new and inclusive access points for audiences unfamiliar with the classics of modern dance and the progressive influence of Martha Graham.
The energy in the Graham Studio Theater is absolutely captivating as the company runs through sections of choreography they learned earlier in the day. At the front of the room, Roberts moves and communicates new inspiration while clarifying nuanced punctuation: “Send energy away from the elbow, trudging through thick molasses, and a slight tilt of the head.”
The dancers uphold the quintessential fierceness of Martha Graham as they respond to new discoveries and his direction. Without music, they remain engaged and centered as their arms and legs break away to slice, pull, push, and twist in multiple directions. Tension and grace coexist as the focus of their eyes flirts with something deeper and more brooding.
Leslie Andrea Williams sets the foundation with a solo in silence, conjuring the essence of “perseverance in spite of.” Seductive and powerful, her presence pierces time and suspends the space, tapping into our shared physical relationship and subconscious.
As the entire company joins the stage, their movement conversation offers a multitude of perspectives. There are no words, or a clear narrative, but I see a community of individuals negotiating internal conflicts while attempting to collectively navigate towards a desirable destination -- a democracy. As their tempo picks up and they change directions, I sense a depth of aggression cracking through veneers, an urgency to be bold and to stride towards a greater transformation.
Giddens’ track complements the movement while exposing a deeper relationship to the landscape. Her music underlines the heart of each dancer who we sense wants to remain hopeful, positive, and connected while trudging through the muck. The musicality of the banjo transports them through adversity and evokes feelings of pride and optimism. A successful partnership to say the least, this collaboration is a brilliant nod to American folk music.
Roberts , Giddens, and the Martha Graham Dance Company, provide a light for us to see where "we" the people have stood and stand today. I am in suspense of what the dance will achieve when it is has its premiere at New York City Center in April.
