''Land Be Bright'' is a modern dance work 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 ...

to music by

Arthur Kreutz Arthur R. Kreutz (July 25, 1906 – March 12, 1991) was an American composer. Life and career Kreutz was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His paternal grandparents Frank R. Kreutz (originally ''František Kříž'') and Paulina Zahradníková ...

with a set and costumes by Charlotte Trowbridge. The unabashedly patriotic piece premiered on March 14, 1942, at Chicago's Civic Opera House. The original cast included Graham and members of 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 " ...

Theme, structure and original cast

The ballet's program notes describe the work as, "A 'celebrating' for Washington's birthday, Lincoln's birthday, Jefferson's birthday." The action unfolds in five sequences, three solos and two ensemble dances, based on square dance forms.Ann Barzel, ''Martha Graham and Dance Company - Civic Opera House'', Chicago, March 14, ''Dance'', May 1942 http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200153388/enlarge.html?page=1§ion=&size=1024&from=pageturner The original cast members were: *Anthem, Chorus of Americans - Ethel Butler,

Jane Dudley Jane Dudley (April 3, 1912 – September 19, 2001) was an American modern dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Inspired by her mentor, choreographer Martha Graham, Dudley helped bring her movement inspired by social ills to the American Dance Fes ...

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 ...

, Nina Fonoroff, Elizabeth Halpern, Pearl Lack (

Pearl Lang Pearl Lang (May 29, 1921 – February 24, 2009) was an American dancer, choreographer and teacher renowned as an interpreter and propagator of the choreography style of Martha Graham, and also for her own longtime dance company, the Pearl Lang ...

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 ...

, Marjorie Mazia *Hymn,

Betsy Ross Elizabeth Griscom Ross (née Griscom;Addie Guthrie Weaver, ''"The Story of Our Flag..."'', 2nd Edition, A. G. Weaver, publ., 1898, p. 73 January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836), also known by her second and third married names, Ashburn a ...

- Martha Graham *Greeting,

Chingachgook Chingachgook is a fictional character in four of James Fenimore Cooper's five ''Leatherstocking Tales'', including his 1826 novel ''The Last of the Mohicans''. Chingachgook was a lone Mohican chief and companion of the series' hero, Natty Bumppo ...

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 ...

*Oration, Yankee -

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 ...

*Square Dance A quotation from

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 ...

was included in the program, "This is somewhat in the spirit of statehouse and courthouse and dollar bill mural paintings. It is somewhat in the spirit of the best

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

decorations and speeches, and the way patriotic people remember their heroes in fancy and oratory."

Critical reception

''Land Be Bright'' was roundly panned by reviewers. One critic reported that the work received "little more than polite applause. The ''Chicago Suns reviewer quipped, "From where I sat ''Land Be Bright'' had exactly nothing to say." The worst notices came from ''Music News'', whose critic called the work "uninspired and infantile in conception" with "the worst faults of the early modern dance."''Graham's Return Anticlimactic'', Music News, April 11, 1942 http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200153390/default.html ''

Dance Magazine ''Dance Magazine'' is an American trade publication for dance. It was first published in June 1927 as ''The American Dancer''. ''Dance Magazine'' is currently part of Dance Media, led by longtime arts publisher Joanna Harp as president, and has mu ...

s Ann Barzel had a more favorable opinion and even saw a possibility for Graham to rehabilitate the work. "''Land Be Bright'' at its premiere was a routine modern dance, not any more distinguished than the square dance pieces most modern dance groups include in their repertoires. Somehow we feel that this will not be true for more than a few performances. Miss Graham will soon find what she is after and lift ''Land Be Bright'' from its undistinguished level to something outstanding - or she will drop it."

References

{{reflist Ballets set in the United States Ballets by Martha Graham 1942 ballets