As a dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham was a revolutionary, exchanging the flowing movements of traditional ballet for an approach far more jagged and Cubist. Though her legacy remains controversial, it is undeniable that Graham's impassioned forms helped give birth to the rise of modern dance. This collection of films offers a rare glimpse into Graham's world, both as choreographer and performer. Included here is the documentary A DANCER'S WORLD (1957), in which Graham discusses her methodology, and two of her most famous ballets, the Aaron Copland-scored APPALACHIAN SPRING (1958), which focuses on a Prairie wedding, and NIGHT JOURNEY (1961), Graham's exceedingly dark take on the Oedipus myth. Also featured here is a profile of Graham from PBS's AMERICAN MASTERS series, MARTHA GRAHAM: THE DANCER REVEALED (1994).
Disc 1-
-New, restored high-definition digital transfers of three films: A Dancer's World, Appalachian Spring, Night Journey
-A comparison of Appalachian Spring with an archival performance, by dance critic and historian Deborah Jowitt
-Excerpts from a television pilot featuring composer Aaron Copland discussing his work on Appalachian Spring
-A visual essay on working with Graham, narrated by Nathan Kroll
-New interview with Museum of Television and Radio curator Ron Simon, discussing Kroll's work and legacy
-New interview with the films' editors, Eleanor Hamerow and Miriam Arsham
