''Every Soul Is a Circus'' is a comedic ballet choreographed by
Martha Graham
Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer, whose style, the Graham technique, reshaped the dance world and is still taught in academies worldwide.
Graham danced and taught for over s ...
. The dance premiered on December 27, 1939, at the
St. James Theatre
The St. James Theatre, originally Erlanger's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 246 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1927, it was designed by Warren and Wetmore in a n ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. The original score was composed by
Paul Nordoff
Paul Nordoff (June 6, 1909 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – January 18, 1977 in Herdecke, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany) was an American composer and music therapist, anthroposophist and initiator of the Nordoff-Robbins method of music t ...
. Philip Stapp created the set. Edythe Gilfond designed the costumes. The production marked the first appearance of
Merce Cunningham
Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...
with the
Martha Graham Dance Company
The Martha Graham Dance Company, founded by Martha Graham in 1926, is both the oldest dance company in the United States and the oldest integrated dance company. The company is critically acclaimed in the artistic world and has been recognized as " ...
.
The troupe still performs the work on occasion. It was last reprised for the 85th anniversary season in 2012.
Title and theme
The title ''Every Soul Is a Circus'' is borrowed from a
Vachel Lindsay
Nicholas Vachel Lindsay (; November 10, 1879 – December 5, 1931) was an American poet. He is considered a founder of modern ''singing poetry,'' as he referred to it, in which verses are meant to be sung or chanted.
Early years
Lindsay was born ...
poem:
Every soul is a circus
Every mind is a tent
Every heart is a sawdust ring
Where the circling race is spent.
The ballet's theme is Everywoman's inner desire to be the center of attention and the ridiculous lengths to which she will go to attain that end. As Empress of the Arena, the lead female dancer imagines herself as the star of every act. In a vignette with the Ringmaster and Acrobat, she is the apex of a love triangle. In another scene, she performs a romantic duet as the Ringmaster's beloved.
But after taking her "star turn," she is ultimately humiliated by the Ringmaster. The lone spectator, the empress' alter-ego, watches as the frenzy of the circus performance builds. The empress' movements and demeanor progress from childlike to flirtatious to addled. She is finally overcome with confusion, her actions becoming ever more undignified and absurd.
Initial reception
When the ballet debuted, many audiences and critics were astonished to see Graham's wry, witty side. Most of her dances were so serious, she had been dubbed "Mirthless Martha" by her musical director
Louis Horst
Louis Horst (born January 12, 1884, Kansas City, Missouri – died January 23, 1964, New York City) was a composer, and pianist. He helped to define the principles of modern dance choreographic technique, most notably the matching of choreography ...
.
[Janet Mansfield Soares,''Louis Horst: Musician in a Dancer's World'', Duke University Press, 1992, p. 168] Reviewers described her performance in ''Every Soul is a Circus'' as "poignant clowning" having a "warmth of personality",
[David Diamond, ''Modern Music'', December 1939] "frank and funny" and "belly-laugh provoking."
Original cast
The original cast comprised the following nine performers:
* Martha Graham as the Empress of the Arena
*
Erick Hawkins
Frederick "Erick" Hawkins (April 23, 1909November 23, 1994) was an American modern-dance choreographer and dancer.
Early life
Frederick Hawkins was born in Trinidad, Colorado, on April 23, 1909. He majored in Greek civilization at Harvard Univ ...
as the Ringmaster
* Merce Cunningham as the Acrobat
*
Jean Erdman
Jean Erdman (February 20, 1916 – May 4, 2020) was an American dancer and choreographer of modern dance as well as an avant-garde theater director, and the wife of Joseph Campbell.
Biography Early years and background
Erdman was born in Honol ...
as the Ideal Spectator
* Nellie Fisher as the First Arenic Performer
*
Sophie Maslow
Sophie Maslow (March 22, 1911 – June 25, 2006) was an American choreographer, modern dancer and teacher, and founding member of New Dance Group. She was a first cousin of the American sculptor Leonard Baskin.
Born in New York City in 1911 b ...
, Ethel Butler,
Marjorie Mazia, Frieda Flier as Other Arenic Performers
Structure
The dance is approximately 30-minutes long. The action takes place in 12 sequences. The original performers for each section were:
# Prologue: Empress of the Arena - Martha Graham
# The Ringmaster - Erick Hawkins
# Parade - Nellie Fisher, Sophie Maslow, Ethel Butler, Marjorie Mazia, Frieda Flier
# Training Ring - Martha Graham, Erick Hawkins
# Entrance of the Spectator - Jean Erdman
# The Show Begins: Star Turn - Martha Graham
# Garland Entry - Sophie Maslow, Frieda Flier, Ethel Butler, Marjorie Mazia, Merce Cunningham
# Arenic World 1. Triangle - Martha Graham, Erick Hawkins, Merce Cunningham
# Poses and Plastiques - Nellie Fisher, Frieda Flier, Marjorie Mazia, Ethel Butler, Merce Cunningham
# Arenic World 2. Duet - Martha Graham and Erick Hawkins
# Aerial Interlude - Nellie Fisher, Frieda Flier, Marjorie Mazia, Ethel Butler, Merce Cunningham
# Finale - Entire Company
References
{{reflist
External links
''Every Soul Is a Circus'' (excerpt), Katherine Crockett as Empress of the Arena
Ballets by Martha Graham
1939 ballets
Ballets set in circuses