Article Project in Movement for a Divine Comedy (Ballet choreographed by Martha Graham) Chorus Movement for a Dance Drama

Detail from [Martha Graham and Dance Group, Bennett School, March 29, 1930] [concert program]

Performed without music, Project in Movement for a Divine Comedy, (also known as Chorus Movement for a Dance Drama), premiered on January 11, 1930, at New York's Maxine Elliott's Theatre. (The work, with music by Carl Ruggles, was a substitution for Portals. It was performed on January 8 and was not listed on the program.) The work was performed by Martha Graham and Group in a concert of the Dance Repertory Theatre. Graham joined dancer/choreographers Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, and [Helen] Tamiris to form the Dance Repertory Theatre. The goal was "to give annually a season of continuous dance programs which will be representative of the art of dance in American and will give native artists an outlet for their creative work." The New York Herald Tribune (January 9, 1930) declared the work to be "a fine, spiritually conceived suggested design which we shall hope to see often and study at greater length."

Dance historians have noted that the work was retitled Salutation. According to a review in the New York Herald Tribune, the new title was used as early as the end of November 1932; however, Carlos Chávez is listed as the composer. A work by the name Salutation appears again in the Graham repertory in 1936, performed on April 7, 1936, in Los Angeles—to music by Lehman Engel.

About this Item

Title: Project in Movement for a Divine Comedy (Ballet choreographed by Martha Graham)
Other Title: Chorus Movement for a Dance Drama
Alternate Title: Chorus Movement for a Dance Drama
Subject Headings: - Chorus Movement for a Dance Drama; - Project in Movement for a Divine Comedy; - Articles; - Songs and Music
Genre: article
Description: Article. Performed without music, Project in Movement for a Divine Comedy, (also known as Chorus Movement for a Dance Drama), premiered on January 11, 1930, at New York's Maxine Elliott's Theatre. (The work, with music by Carl Ruggles, was a substitution for Portals. It was performed on January 8 and was not listed on the program.) The work was performed by Martha Graham and Group in a concert of the Dance Repertory Theatre. Graham joined dancer/choreographers Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, and [Helen] Tamiris to form the Dance Repertory Theatre. The goal was "to give annually a season of continuous dance programs which will be representative of the art of dance in American and will give native artists an outlet for their creative work." The New York Herald Tribune (January 9, 1930) declared the work to be "a fine, spiritually conceived suggested design which we shall hope to see often and study at greater length."
Additional Metadata Formats: METSXML Record

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is providing access to these materials for educational and research purposes and makes no warranty with regard to their use for other purposes. The written permission of the copyright owners and/or other rights holders (such as holders of publicity and/or privacy rights) is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. There may be content that is protected as "works for hire" (copyright may be held by the party that commissioned the original work) and/or under the copyright or neighboring-rights laws of other nations.

Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permission ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Users should consult the bibliographic information that accompanies each item for specific information. This catalog data provides the details known to the Library of Congress regarding the corresponding items and may assist users in making independent assessments of the legal status of these items as related to their desired uses.

Items included here with the permission of the rights holders are indicated as such in the bibliographic record for each item.

In some cases, the Library was unable to identify a possible rights holder and has elected to place some of those items online as an exercise of fair use for strictly non-commercial educational uses. The Library of Congress would like to learn more about these materials and would like to hear from individuals or institutions that have any additional information or know of their history. Please contact: Performing Arts Reading Room.

Suggested credit line: Library of Congress, Music Division.