LA Dances Graham100 at The Soraya – reviewed

Bare feet, loose hair, grace and fluidity—this past Saturday evening, April 26, The Soraya’s stage ignited with brilliance as LA Dances Graham100 delivered a dazzling celebration of Martha Graham’s revolutionary legacy. The eclectic evening of performances reverberated with history, artistry, as well as the vibrant energy of Los Angeles’ most accomplished dancers. As part of The Soraya’s inaugural LA Seen festival, this landmark performance united generations of artists in a collaborative triumph that paid homage to nearly a century of Graham’s groundbreaking choreography.

The event brought together an exceptional array of talent: dancers from the Martha Graham Dance Company, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance (celebrating its 10th anniversary), CSUN Dance (marking the first anniversary of its BFA program), and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The intergenerational ensemble offered not just performances but a vivid tapestry of continuity—showing Graham’s influence as living, breathing, and evolving.

Under the thoughtful curation and narration of MGDC Artistic Director Janet Eilber—whom The Soraya’s Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber warmly welcomed as “the busiest person in dance”—the evening unfolded as a masterclass in emotional, social, and spiritual expression through movement. The program opened with Graham’s Deep Song (1937), a searing solo inspired by the Spanish Civil War and resonant with the same emotional gravitas found in Picasso’s Guernica. From there, the evening transitioned into Panorama (1935), an abstract yet galvanizing expression of social activism through synchronized ensemble work.

One of the evening’s many high points was Lamentation Variations, a living project that began in 2007 and continues to expand. The Soraya audience was treated to three interpretations: a 2007 original by Larry Keigwin performed by CSUN dancers, and two electrifying world premieres—one from Lula Washington Dance Theatre and another from the USC Kaufman School. Each variation was preceded by archival footage of Graham performing her iconic 1930 solo Lamentation, a powerful reminder of the emotional core that continues to inspire contemporary choreographers.

Best aspect of the night was watching young dances of various body shapes and skin tones interpreting such an important choreographer and artist in their own ways.

Graham’s playfully subversive side emerged in Satyric Festival Song (1932), in which she satirizes her own seriousness with impish charm. Then came El Penitente (1941), a dramatic trio inspired by religious rituals in the American Southwest. With its “play within a play” format and biblical vignettes, this piece highlighted Graham’s storytelling ingenuity and featured a historical nod to her original collaborators Eric Hawkins and Merce Cunningham.

After intermission, we were all treated to two excerpts from Acts of Light (1981): the sensual Conversation of Lovers and the electrifying Ritual to the Sun, a movement crescendo built upon Graham’s own studio exercises—a radiant finale that embodied the physical and spiritual power of her technique.

Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber called the event an “extravaganza.” What unfolded on stage was not only a tribute to Martha Graham’s past, but a vibrant assertion of her enduring presence in the world of dance. With 86 dancers, two world premieres, and a spirit of collective artistry, LA Dances Graham100 was more than a performance—it felt like we experienced a landmark event.

As The Soraya continues its centennial collaboration with the Graham Company, this evening served as a shining beacon for what dance can be: timeless, boundary-defying, and deeply human.

For more information about upcoming performances, visit The Soraya.