Ballet for Martha

A gorgeous picture book with insight into the creation of an American classic!

I fell for this book cover first. Floca’s amazing watercolors capture Martha Graham’s dance style and the iconic design of the American masterpiece, Appalachian Spring, beautifully. ButBallet for Martha is also a lovingly expressed account of the historic collaboration between Martha Graham (choreographer), Aaron Copeland (composer), and Isamu Noguchi (set designer) to create one of dance and music’s great masterpieces. From a story on a page, to a musical composition, through the rehearsal process and staging, to its first performance on October 30, 1944 at the Library of Congress—the story is conveyed magnificently in the words and watercolors of this 40-page picture book. Complete with detailed notes, further reading, and fairly detailed biographies of the three artists this is a great book for dance and music fans of all ages!

To get a look at the complete work check out Martha Graham: In Performance in our DVD collection which inlcudes Appalachian Spring along with A Dancer's World and Night Journey.