The breathtaking images in ""Acts of Light"" are the result of John Deane's unprecedented access as a promotional photographer for the Martha Graham Dance Company. The first book to comprehensively survey Graham's dances in full color digital photography, it also features personal interviews with this new generation of Graham interpreters, who reflect on their own lives, the meaning each dance has for them personally, and the Graham technique in frank and touching style. Dancers reveal how they approach now-classic works and personalize their interpretations, coming to them with a new sensibility and unique life experiences. The 18 featured works range from the Greek cycle and biblically inspired ballets through abstract studies of tragedy and hope, considerations of loss incurred in wartime, and literary speculations like Deaths and Entrances, a recently revived work on the Bronte sisters. Deane and Cano give special consideration to the beloved American masterwork Graham created in collaboration with composer Aaron Copland - Appalachian Spring. Drawing on essays, poetry, and excerpts from Graham's own notebook, ""Acts of Light"" considers the narrative, dramatic, and philosophical base for each dance, and offers reflections on its contemporary relevance for today's audience. Appealing to dance historians, professional dancers, students of dance, and those with interests in the performing arts, this book provides an insightful appreciation of the living influence of Graham as a 20th-century icon.
