WONDER

iPhone pic of the "Wonder" exhibit
at the newly re-opened
Smithsonian Renwick Gallery, DC

Last night, I attended a lecture at the Smithsonian to support one of my favorite,  Hibernian Literature professors.  There is something wonderfully mad professor about him.  Sort of Matt Smith's "Dr. Who" but with a shock of white hair.  He can recite stanzas of W.B. Yeats then somehow segue into an odd detail from a Quentin Tarantino film.  In any case, his enthusiasm for Irish men and women of letters began generations beforehand.  His grandfather worked in Coole Park for Lady Gregory and his family had many informal interactions with literary giants like Yeats.  He himself read Literature in Trinity College following Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett.

Back to the Smithsonian lecture.  The talk was on Irish Drama.  We were basking in the brilliance of Yeats, Wilde, Shaw, and more from a mix of old photographs, BBC recordings, and documentaries.  I was rejoicing in passive enjoyment until, right before the end, we were handed an unfamiliar script, unfamiliar to me anyway.  What's a Drama class without a play reading, a cold reading at that?

So continues my life as Forrest Gump, in the company of people far more prepared for the current situation than I am. There were theatre professionals in the audience.  But that didn't include me!  I've never done any acting.  But as the familiar face in a sea of faces, I was pulled to read Pegeen's lines in a segment of J. M. Synge's "Playboy of the Western World."  I can only hope everyone forgives my butchering of Hiberno-English, in all its textured richness!  Perhaps there is some redemption in the original actors tripping over the language in the play's initial reading too. Synge had sought to bring out the ancient sounds of the Aran Islands, and Ireland wasn't quite ready for it.  As always with my mad professor, I learned something new even when I was expecting the familiar.  And -- I can claim to have had my acting debut at the Smithsonian.

There lies the Wonder.  Especially during this past year that we've lived in Washington DC, everything seems to be a first time.  New places. New people.  New experiences.  Even in Ballet, the style is so contemporary, so sharp, so post-Balanchine.  I'm learning a new movement language that feels natural and alien at the same time.  I finish most classes thinking "Wow.  That was different."

You sing in the shower?
I dance in the closet.


Taken last spring
right after getting home from ballet class

Artistic exploration is truly endless.  Isn't it marvelous even if one feels foolish in the attempt? OK, sometimes frustration is involved. One of my ballet teachers always reminds us that performances are a result of endless repetition and rehearsal.  By contrast, class is where we work on weaknesses and try new movements.  Having ridiculous moments are a given.  That goes for any type of creative exploration.

I am grateful for all the inspiration and encouragement surrounding me here and the wondrous things I learn every day.

How about you -- have you ever felt like a fish out of water, even in an environment you thought you knew well?

GAULTIER GOTHIC

It's that time of year when witches and ghouls -- or Moulin Rouge Goths -- emerge from the bushes.  Trick or Treat.

It all began with my black, feather neck corset.  Tips in iridescent green seemed decidedly wicked.  Tulle seemed a deceptive accomplice.  It was all evolving into some Toulouse-Lautrec vision of Paris, with strains of Saint-Saën's Danse Macabre in the background.

Hmm ... Corsets.  Paris. Macabre.

...  I must really have been thinking of Jean Paul Gaultier!

Well, here's a Halloween Treat for you.  These are long overdue pictures from the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the De Young Museum in San Francisco.  (His Moulin Rouge outfit was actually on a revolving catwalk, but I couldn't get a good moving shot in the dark.)

Happy Halloween!  What's your inspiration this year?

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PS Apologies if you have been seeing various template designs on this page.  Just trying to clean up the side bar!

LIQUID MEMORY

Are your happy thoughts awash in water as mine seem to be?

Family, work, and the Arts seem to ebb and flow in my life, each surging in turn.  But once in a while, they come together in a joyful splash.

Just this weekend, visiting nieces from Denver drew us to the coast, underscoring natural differences between the Rockies and the Bay Area.  I love the mountains -- but what about the afternoon sun on the waves?  Sparkling water makes children of us all!

Happiness on the beach
Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz
From this weekend

Last weekend, we caught the last day of the exhibit, "Impressionists on the Water," at the Legion of Honor.  Just as my memories are flecked with dappled sunlight on water, so were the Impressionists' scenes from the banks of the Seine.  Sails pierced the nautical blues of San Francisco Bay  -- right outside the Museum -- and Monterey Bay, as if in accidental salute.  (The gods of Serendipity must be enjoying this since I am also immersed in an art history project stressing the Impressionists.)

Sailboats out on Monterey Bay this weekend
in synch with the Impressionist sailing scenes

The seafaring displays swept me back to my summer holidays, when my sister, cousins and I navigated coral reefs and turquoise seas.

Our rustic outrigger heading out

for snorkeling adventures

Languid mornings over mangoes and coffee frequently gave way to the excitement of planning the day's excursions.

Breakfast seascape

Snorkeling or scuba diving?  1, 2 or 3 coral reefs?  I want to see spectacular marine life!  I want to be Jacques Cousteau!

We hopped on to smaller, yellow canoes -- mid-sea! -- from our larger outrigger
in order to navigate shallow coral reefs

In fact, we spent so much time submerged, swaying in the hammock appeared way too airborne.

The unused hammock on the shore

So many activities, so many islands, so much water.  But wait a moment.  Nostalgia and water now swirl in an eddy of memories ...

Puddles of childhood in tropical rain ... afternoon torrents paired with naps ... typhoons teamed with a book in a nook ...

Afternoon rain in my childhood home,
from the dining room window

Even music and movement are claimed by the vortex.   Flickering lights in raindrop tempo ... rooftop staccato plip-plop-plop... fluid ballet steps swell to the deluge ...  tap-tap dancing to thunder claps ...

Oh my.  J.K. Rowling was on to something when she conceived her Pensieve.  Wizards and we can be gripped by an uncontrollable flow of thoughts and memories.

Some might prefer drifting with Proust's remembrances rather than Potter's.  Either way, when the current takes us, we are lost in time, shipwrecked in recollections.

Late afternoon mooring
after a day spent in the water

Eventually, the whorls and ripples diminish.  We moor our memories and seek stable shores.  And once more, we are left to reflect, safely, on dancing drops of sunlight.

What are your radiant reflections attached to?

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS ... OR CALIFORNIA

Last week at the ballet studio, several people announced they were November-born, including two of the dancers below.  Lovers of life that we all are, we immediately declared a party at our house.

My friends in the rehearsal studio, two years ago.
They created stiff circles of tulle on the floor here.

Picasso or Cole Porter may not have been present, but it dawned on me that our impromptu soirée wasn't too different from a Paris-in-the-'20s scene.  We had dancers, artists, an actor, a musician, arm-chair philosophers (sometimes, even the real thing), and a scientist!  Just missing were the writers and poets.

Our Artistic Director (seated),
formerly from American Ballet Theater,
during our rehearsals

First off, our ballet Artistic Director was celebrating his birthday.  He had danced with world-renowned American Ballet Theater in New York prior to moving out West.  His pregnant wife was surprised his photos were in some of my old, ABT performance books.  (I used to attend ABT's season at the Metropolitan Opera House and pick up the books at the performances.  This was before I knew him personally - and before his wife ever met him.)  We reminisced about his old ABT friends - dancers I admired, even worshipped, and on my very lucky days, shared barres with in NYC. 

My dear friend, Virginia, whom I wrote about in Life is Beautiful, provided all the good bubbly as we celebrated her 86th birthday too.  Months ago, she had been generous enough to offer what gallery paintings we liked for our walls, and to rotate them until we'd found one we couldn't say good-bye to.  (Her art gallery overflows as much as her champagne collection.)  I was ecstatic to serve as her extended exhibit space.  So, we spent a fair amount of time clinking flutes in birthday toasts while engaging in art appreciation.  Now that's a civilized way to spend an evening.

Loaned to us from Virginia's art gallery.
I like discovering textures in it daily.
But is the marred surface
the result of her housekeeper's
vigorous cleaning?!

Another friend, a ceramic artist, was also a celebrant. Her works happen to be around our house too - from wabi sabi vases to our daily serving dishes.  Wabi sabi is a wonderful, Japanese aesthetic - defined by imperfection, transience, and natural beauty.  Does that concept speak to you?  It does to me, especially contrasted against geometric perfection.  We celebrated this theme by putting my friend's irregularly-shaped bowls and plates out for our little party.  (You can check out her whimsical creations here in Yukari Art)

An example of my friend's
wabi sabi vase
on the floor of our foyer

Let's see. We mentioned dancers and artists.  Now, the actress.  She had recently played a small part in a film scene with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson - yes, the protagonist at the core of "Midnight in Paris"!  She was still giddy from the experience.  Of course we pressed her, and she confirmed that Wilson is as cute and charming in life as he is on film.

Finally, the culmination of this evening out of Time was sitting by the piano while our musician friend played Gershwin and ragtime.  The live music punctuated our discussion on the origins of rag (which I never knew was a technical term - "ragging out time") and Jazz.  The genre couldn't have been more fitting that night. 

After all the champagne, music and art
Midnight in California

Sometimes, the best experiences are unplanned, fleeting, joyous celebrations of life.  Wabi sabi style.  I didn't even appreciate the evening until everyone had gone and I thought of writing this post.

Now, if I could only round up a poet or two for the next gathering ... 

COULDN'T RESIST

When I saw how the paint crew had lined up all these doors to dry, I just couldn't resist playing around.  I tell you, these guys always surprise me with their unexpected aesthetic!  (A friend of mine just swung by the house and asked me if this was an art installation.  I said, "It is now.")

Perhaps I was heavily influenced by the film, "Pina".  If you haven't seen it yet, it is mind blowing.  Such a striking homage to Pina Bausch and the art form she created -- fusing dance, expressionism, nature, humor, poetry and music.  Wim Wenders captures Pina's essence beautifully, employing 3D to artistic effect.  The architectural shapes in the choreography pop out of the screen!  At any rate, I left the theater wanting so much to be a Tanztheater Wuppertal dancer!




Here's the "Pina" trailer.  I was already in awe viewing this, and still, I was left quite agape throughout the actual film.

IMAGE RESOLUTION

Happy New Year!

Many of us may have scribbled down Resolutions on paper or in our heads. More often than not, these entail adhering to fitness regimens or weight-management goals.  Why on earth do we do this every year?  Do we ever get to the point where we are satisfied with the way we look?

Take dancers, for example.  Nearly all dancers I know cringe at the sight of their images.  We examine our reflections judgmentally in the studio mirror and immediately criticize ourselves.  In fact, my nerves are wrought just posting these pictures!

Me in a studio photo last year
for a yoga-inspired ballet, set to Vivaldi
Raw photo: Jun Yang Photography
Edited Photo: The Foolish Aesthete

Blame it on the aesthetic George Balanchine stamped on ballet -- the idealized preference for the long-limbed, ethereal ballerina.  It's an impossible perfection.  Didn't Plato indicate that the material world is but a mere shadow mimicking the ideal Form?  That about sums up how ballet dancers feel.  At the elite level, if your physique does not conform to the Ideal, you are encouraged to take up a more forgiving alternative -- Modern, Jazz or Broadway dance.  Or exit the field and take up photography.

From another studio photo last year
same yoga-inspired piece, set to Vivaldi
Raw Photo: Jun Yang Photography
Edited Photo: The Foolish Aesthete

Dance critic, Alistair Macaulay, ignited a big hullaballoo during his Nutcracker reviews two winters ago.  He cited that a certain Sugar Plum Fairy looked like she had eaten a sweet too many.  Was that an attack on physical appearance or a valid critique of a visual art form?  In Ballet, they are inextricably bound together.

One could argue that an artist, whatever shape, can move an audience to tears or ecstasy.  But the hurdle is greater if the physical attributes are at odds with expectations.  I've heard muffled sniggers from the audience viewing heavy opera singers in romantic roles, effectively detracting from enjoyment of the opera.  It takes a greater mental leap -- perhaps aided by shutting the eyes -- and immense talent for the audience to be moved by the exquisite harmonies.

For dancers, as for athletes, our bodies are our instruments.  We hone our bodies for our craft as a musician tunes their violin or piano.  Dancers are meant to carve beautiful lines and shapes in space.  The forthcoming image is as much from the Form our bodies come in as the movement we elicit from it.  Therein lies our conundrum.  One cannot shut ones' eyes to appreciate dance.


Alessandra Ferri and Sting
Ferri is a mesmerizing ballerina who embodies the physical and artistic Ideal.  She has some of the most admired feet in ballet history -- just watch the video!  I used to watch her onstage at the American Ballet Theater until she retired a few years ago.  

The actual dancing in the video begins at 2:40.  But the entire short is beautiful, bringing together artists from various disciplines: music (via Sting and Bach), dance, film (directed by Ferri's husband, the photographer Fabrizio Ferri).  And if you need exercise inspiration, it is quite surprising to see Sting mid-twist practicing yoga!

Many dancers I know cannot bear to watch videos of themselves.  (I've heard some actors do the same, never viewing their finished films.)  Unlike Narcissus' reflection, ours always falls short of Perfection.  Yet, we force ourselves to get feedback from the mirror, or take notes from past performance videos, to see what we can improve. The film, "Black Swan" was exaggerated, but it gives you a glimpse of a dancer's tortured psyche.

Thank goodness, most dancers will keep on dancing despite internal suffering.  As the dialogue in the old film, "The Red Shoes" implies:

Boris Lermontov:  Why do you want to dance?
Victoria Page: (after thinking) Why do you want to live?
Boris Lermontov:  (surprised) Well, I don't know exactly why,  ... but I must.
Victoria Page:  That's my answer too.


***

What do you think?  This issue of weight and image is akin to that of skinny models in magazines and runways.  Is fashion only beautiful on thin figures?  Somehow, the proliferation of street and self-style blogs tells me this is not the case.  Beauty can come in all shapes and sizes!  That said, do you have any image-related resolutions?

WALTZ OF THE FLOWERS

... while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.
                                - from Clement C. Moore's "The Night Before Christmas"

I have never seen a sugar plum nor dreamt about them, but my encounters through poetry and literature tell me they are incredibly delightful and associated with Christmastime.  With all this Christmas imagery, I thought we could resume our Nutcracker journey and fly to the Land of Sweets: that confectionary dreamland ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The original 1892 libretto (by Marius Petipa for the Imperial Mariinsky Theater in Russia) had Clara and the Nutcracker Prince travel by dolphins (pulling their nutshell boat).  I think we can take an even bigger leap and have them pulled through the air by swans instead!

Photo collaboration with Jill Adams of Street Style London

En route to the Land of Sweets
Swan image: me again, studio photo by Jun Yang Photography
Photo Art: Jill Adams of Street Style Polka Dot

The second Act of the ballet is one of celebration within the Land of Sweets, where candy, chocolates and flowers honor Clara and her Nutcracker Prince.  Here, I'd wager the "Waltz of the Flowers" is one of the most recognizable pieces of music Tchaikovsky ever wrote.  Even non-ballet goers are familiar with it.  Moreover, this is the dream role for most young ballerinas for whom the Sugar Plum Fairy role is as elusive a fantasy as candy floss for breakfast.  Who wouldn't want to be waltzing with Dewdrop while swathed in frothy pink tulle?

"Waltz of the Flowers" in Balanchine's Nutcracker, New York City Ballet

The fast tempo of this version is characteristic of Balanchine, whose choreography tends towards fast footwork and near athleticism.  Technically impressive -- but not my favorite rendition.  However, I think they have the best Flower costume of all the productions!  The whirling layers of tulle look so much like flowers blooming!  And their Candy Land set is the stuff kids' dreams are made of.


Many thanks to blogger, Jill of Street Style London, and her brilliant idea of creating photo art out of my ballet images.  I feel this is a kind of Christmas present in itself!  She recently posted one of her photo montages of my swan image on her blog.  You can see it here.  This is one of the things I love about the blog world -- that people who have never met (yet) can form online friendships, akin to pen pals of old, and collaborate with each other artistically.

What are your favorite sweets?  I hope you get them this Christmas!

URBAN LANDSCAPES

Hi, everyone.  I just returned from Paris.

Paris ... ?  Not quite.

Hah!  Fooled you.  (Well, maybe not the Parisians).

This lovely building, which reminds me of Paris, is actually on the Upper West Side of NYC.  73rd Street & Broadway, to be exact.  It happens to be next to the Temple of the ballet world in Manhattan: Steps on Broadway.  Unfortunately, the Steps building isn't nearly as photogenic as this one is, so I swung my lens over here instead.

Of course, the beauty of Steps lies within its walls.  Elite dancers the world over take class daily, and I happily share in their sweat on the studio floor.  This time, it was great to be with a few guys from Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo.  You know, the funny men in pointe shoes!  Don't let their antics onstage fool you.  As I witnessed in class, these men are serious technicians and artists.  They are male dancers who train and perform in pointe shoes, much like Shakespearian actors might rehearse in doublet and hose.  The result: convincing parody.


The Trocks!  They are terrifically funny, especially if you are familiar with the classical choreography behind their parodies.  Their technique and artistry are not to be underestimated.

But wait. This post isn't about ballet.  There's a reason it's labelled "Urban Landscapes."

I meant to contrast that first "European" building with the dizzying geometries most people may associate with New York architecture.

Complex geometries
off of 6th Avenue

Empire State Building reflected off of
another building on 43rd Street and Bryant Park

Unusually curved tunnels in the Times Square subway
also unusually devoid of people

Traffic on 59th Street Bridge into Manhattan
taken from the car
Some things never change!

Empire State Building and Chrysler Building
viewed from the car on 59th Street Bridge
on a dreary, rainy day
(I was on the far side of the back seat)

"Fall in New York!  Crisp, with the smell of mustard pretzels
mingled with subway steam"
-- how my friend described this photo

I wish I had had time to pass by Central Park, the High Line, the Met, SoHo, etc. -- all favorites, with their own urban vibes.  Next time again.  For my other impressions on previous trips, click here and here.

What images do you associate with New York?  Which city is your favorite in the world?

FRINGE BENEFITS

I landed so early from the red eye into NYC that my room at The Royalton wasn't ready yet.  So, off I wandered around Bryant Park, by the New York Public Library, taking morning photographs.  Shopping was not on my itinerary -- but there it was.  Zara.  Within my first 30 minutes in Manhattan, I did what I had vowed not to do.  Jet lag had obviously clouded my judgement.

Fringed Zara dress
My orange, rabbit fur scarf from Vail
(shot back in California)

I actually don't shop often, and generally prefer to treasure hunt in small boutiques.  But once or twice a year, usually when I am traveling, I allow myself a guilty peek at Zara or Mango or H&M.

Fringe runs from shoulder to hem
Zara dress

I guess this dress spoke to me.  If the fringe -- running from the shoulder down to the hem -- weren't enough, the psychedelic, electrocardiogram (ECG) stripes on the dress were sure to make my heart race!  (Years ago, my paternal grandmother gave me her turtleneck from the '60s with a very similar pattern.  I wish I could find it now.  I didn't know I was already dressing "vintage" back then as a teenager.)  Anyway, this energizing dress was exactly what I needed for a non-stop day in NYC.  That, and a double espresso.  I'd had only 3 hours' sleep and no breakfast yet.

Morning silhouettes, from Bryant Park
Chrysler Building in the background

The ECG dress took me from shooting in Bryant Park to meeting up with kin at the 9/11 Memorial downtown.  It got me back to midtown, through Times Square -- where I surprisingly encountered The Naked Cowboy --

The Naked Cowboy,
sharing his backside for tourist cameras in Times Square
I preferred this angle!

before heading down to the Village for dinner.  All grimy by now, I changed into a black dress (after testing the The Royalton's circular tub and spa bubbles!) because the night wasn't over.  It was off with my cousin to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for some contemporary dance.  I was so charmed by the crumbling, arsty interior of BAM's Harvey Theater, I couldn't resist quick snaps before the show began.  The theater is small and intimate.  You are practically onstage with the performers.

Brooklyn Academy of Music
Harvey Theater's beautifully crumbling interior

There, it was a joy to see the Belgian Compagnie Thor.  The company's emphasis on dancers from various backgrounds -- classical, contemporary, even capoiera -- distilled movement to their common denominator: Love of Dance.  It was such infectious dynamism, I wanted to join in!  Pumped up after the program (set to Bach's music), I was practically doing upper body isolations on the subway back to Union Square. Sometimes, you need to get ballerinas out of tutu mode!  My evening ended with some really good (decaf) espresso with my cousin, before we headed back, in a downpour, to our hotels.

Do you find that certain outfits give you a buzz or calm you down?

_______________________

P.S.  I was playing around with Blogger's new "Dynamic Views" but realized they were too confusing for readers (after a few comments from good blog friends!).  It also lost some of my settings in the side bar.  So, I have put it back now as best as possible.  Sorry for the inconvenience re: navigating the blog.

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE

All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players
                 -- from "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare


These words gained new meaning this weekend at my cousin's wedding in New York City.

The stage at the Hudson Theater for my cousin's wedding
The wedding program was on a Playbill
with head shots & bios of the Newlyweds and Bridal Party

My cousin, the Bride -- born and bred in New York and a lifelong devotee of Broadway musical theater -- held her wedding reception at the historic Hudson Theater in Times Square.  She and her brothers often entertained our family gatherings with song & dance routines from the Great White Way.  This time, the Groom joined the Family Act and got onstage too.

GET TO THE POINTE

Skip class one day, your body knows.  Skip class two days, your teacher knows.  Skip class three days, the audience knows.
                             -- Old adage in classical ballet 

I've skipped dancing so much this summer that I'm afraid everybody knows.  Architecture and holidays have been too diverting.

At least, our construction project is progressing.  This bucolic deer haven has turned gritty and industrial for now.  Perfect backdrop for a Contemporary Ballet.  Tutus not required.  (I've always wanted to dance a Christopher Wheeldon piece.)  I'm breaking a lot of classical rules here in the spirit of Contrast and the Contemporary, not to mention pushing my Jackie-O look-of-the-day beyond its original intent.

Chicken-wing arms are a classical ballet no-no
So are "parallel" feet and legs
But, hey, nobody's watching!

BACKSTAGE VIEWS

Tomorrow is a busy day.  We'll be running our show in the evening.  We get into the theater early to prepare, then go through spacing and technical rehearsals with lighting and curtains. I probably shouldn't have had that glass of wine at dinner.

Breaking my new pointe shoes

For you curious ones, this is part of my process of breaking in new pointe shoes -- not to be done to your Louboutins.  Fashionistas have round toes vs. pointy toes, block heels vs. stilettos.  Similarly, there is an endless variety of shapes for pointe shoes.  In the latter's case, they are incredibly important -- if the shoe doesn't fit, you can't dance!  This is a new shape I'm trying out.  I hope it works.

Breaking in my new pointe shoes

I just happened upon this fun little short film featuring New York City Ballet's Ashley Bouder.  You get a sense of the restrained control in Ballet vs. the freedom of Freestyle.  All dance is beautiful.  This guy tWitch moves wonderfully!  I liked the gritty studio setting they used too.


Short video from Discount Dance Supply, with New York City Ballet's Ashley Bouder




What dance do you like to watch? (or do?)

THE RITUAL

I'm busy with dress rehearsals this weekend so this is a quick post.

If any of you saw "Black Swan" or other ballet movies, you may be familiar with the ritual ballerinas have ahead of a performance:  namely, preparing the pointe shoes.

A soft and a hard pair of pointe shoes drying out
I ordered another pair in a different shape to try out too

Every dancer has their own ritual.  Mine consists of having several pairs of shoes, with different "feels" for different choreography.  I like a hard shoe with lots of support if I am dancing on pointe a lot (endless bourres!).  For a lot of jumps, my preference is a soft, very broken-in shoe.  We mash up the shoes until they feel right.  Then we sew the elastics and ribbons on.  Lastly, which is what you see here, I put clear nail polish at the ends of the ribbons to prevent fraying (some burn the edges, but I'm a little afraid of pyrotechnics).  You see the shoes drying out here.

I imagine that athletes have a similar ritual when preparing for a meet or competition.  Are any of you athletes or performers?  What are your experiences?


Art work by a local, Bay Area artist.  I thought it was an interesting, nearly disturbing, contrast to have the edgy mixed media alongside the satin shoes.  

MARTHA GRAHAM's 117TH BIRTHDAY

Whether or not you like modern dance, there is no question that Martha Graham changed the landscape of dance.  Her choreography is so powerful and her choice of minimal stage and costume design is what we now associate with that genre.

Today, she would have been 117 years old.  I am a classically trained ballet dancer - not schooled in Graham technique - but here is my tribute to her.

Me trying to be Martha Graham-ish

More of me being Martha Graham-ish

More of me emulating Martha Graham, ballerina-style!

Another tribute from Google Doodle with animation by Ryan Woodward:







And here is the Lady herself, in all her pain and angst:

Martha Graham
web photo from archives

I am playing all the Aaron Copland music he made for her ballets all day!