Ballet for Martha by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Martha Graham, Aaron Copland, and Isamu Noguchi were three brilliantly creative and hard-working people who worked together over sixty-five years ago to produce one of most famous dance performances in American history, Appalachian Spring.  This is the story of how the trio brought this story of America to life after a year of rewriting, replaying, and rehearsing – all while dancer and choreographer Graham works through tantrums of frustration, composer Copland finds music for his piano that suits the historical theme, and designer Noguchi creates a setting that cooperates with the movement.  They all have the same idea of presenting the story in mind, simple and clear with no embellishments.  Not everyone likes how Graham dances because she does not look like a traditional ballerina, but she doesn’t care.  It is a rough process but in the end, the three present an homage to the country and its people that celebrates the strength of Americans in hardship and hope for their future.  This dance is still performed and often taught to dance students; I am happy to say I learned parts of Appalachian Spring as a teenager, and was surprised by the difficulty of such simple movements and thrilled with the reward of mastering such an important piece of work. 

Award-winning artist Brian Floca’s paintings are, like the ballet, surprisingly full while maintaining simplicity, and the authors’ (also award winners who specialize in books about art) explanation of the unfolding of the dance production is compelling.  Pictures of Graham, Copland, and Noguchi along with more information on all three follow the story, along with a bibliography and source notes.  This is not just a picture book for children, but a celebration of dance for all ages.