Corinne

Type in the content of your new page here.Martha Graham

(Sixteen-year-old Martha and her father enter from stage left. Martha is wearing a dark grey dress with a corsage of violets pinned to the chest. Her father is wearing an elegant but somber suit. Father goes as if to call a taxi and Martha stops looking at a theater poster advertizing Ruth St. Denis’s performance. The girl stares at in wonder.) That woman was amazing. How does she express her emotions so truly? Father always said “movement never lies” but I never quite understood his words until tonight. I shall never forget this night. The performance moved me. All the ladies in their silks (fingers her own dress) but more than their clothing, their dancing skills impressed me. That a human being can produce movements so pure, so true, so natural, so … right! I can hardly find the words to express what I am feeling. One thing I know with certainty. One day I shall be like Ms. St. Denis. I shall become a dancer. Father will object. He would say that it is not proper for a lady, a doctor’s daughter, to express herself like so. But I do not care! (tosses her head a little) How can such beauty be improper? How can art be unladylike? Am I not to express myself? No matter what anyone says, I know, in the depths of my heart, (puts hand to chest) that dancing is what God wishes me to do with my life. Girls of the future should be able to look at me as I look admiringly at Ms. St. Denis. They should know that they have a voice, silent but strong, with which to tell how they feel deep down within their fluttering hearts. They shall look at a poster like the one I stare at right now and say to themselves, “One day I will be like her, one day I will dance like Ms. Martha Graham!” (Father beckons to her and they both walk towards stage right. Martha carries her head high and walks with deliberate steps as she walks. Father lets her pass first and looks at her attitude with worry. They walk past a tree swaying in the wind. Father stops to talk to another man. ) What a marvelous tree! How graceful and lively it dances in the wind! Dances…? Dances! How would one dance like that tree? You would hold your arms out like this, (raises her arms to be level with her shoulders) then, you would move them slowly and solemnly. (begins to slowly move her arms through the air) Your feet would go nowhere, for a tree is rooted to the ground. Ah! But during a storm, even mighty trees bow before the wind. (her body bends at the waist, and her arms sweep out in the direction that she bent. Her motions show a natural, but undeveloped grace. The lines of her body are straight and strong. Her father, while talking, glimpses her out of the corner of his eye, and gapes slightly; his jaw slack. He abruptly, but politely, ends his conversation, then goes over and grabs her by the wrist. Her head comes up, eyes flashing a little. He looks at her sternly, then beckons her to follow him. She snatches her wrist back and huffs forward, back ram-rod straight) Oh look! The autumn leaves are beginning to fall! (She begins to skip lightly, then twirls. Her father scowls, but she is oblivious) The bright little things are so cheerful! (Her father’s scowl deepens and he starts to say something, but his daughter suddenly leaps into the air, twirling as she comes back down. His face takes on a startled look.) Falling, twirling, skipping; this is such fun! I wonder what other natural elements are as cheerful as the autumn leaves? I wonder. (She stops dancing, her face bears a thoughtful look. Her father takes this opportunity to hurry her along. They exit stage right.)

Zach- there are places in here where words should be, but there not. Other than that, it is very descriptive and mostly clear.

Ms. Schoen -- Nicely done. I like the descriptions, especially when she moves like a tree. I like it. Simplistic yet nice.

Ryan W. - Good piece, very descriptive nothing much to say

Sarah Jones- I liked it a lot. I think it was very creative with the descriptions. Nicely done!

Arlena J- Well written piece. Vey realistic and descripitive