''Every Soul Is a Circus'' is a comedic ballet choreographed by

Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over seventy years. She wa ...

. The dance premiered on December 27, 1939, at the

St. James Theatre The St. James Theatre, originally Erlanger's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 246 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, it was designed by Warren and Wetmore in a neo-Georgian style a ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The original score was composed by

Paul Nordoff Paul Nordoff (June 6, 1909 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – January 18, 1977 in Herdecke, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany) was an American composer and music therapist, anthroposophist and initiator of the Nordoff-Robbins method of music th ...

. Philip Stapp created the set. Edythe Gilfond designed the costumes. The production marked the first appearance of

Merce Cunningham Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...

with the

Martha Graham Dance Company The Martha Graham Dance Company, founded in 1926, is known for being the oldest American dance company. Founded by Martha Graham as a contemporary dance company, it continued to perform pieces, revive classics, and train dancers even after Graham's ...

. The troupe still performs the work on occasion. It was last reprised for the 85th anniversary season in 2012.

Title and theme

The title ''Every Soul Is a Circus'' is borrowed from a

Vachel Lindsay Nicholas Vachel Lindsay (; November 10, 1879 – December 5, 1931) was an American poet. He is considered a founder of modern ''singing poetry,'' as he referred to it, in which verses are meant to be sung or chanted. Early years Lindsay was born ...

poem:

Every soul is a circus Every mind is a tent Every heart is a sawdust ring Where the circling race is spent.

The ballet's theme is Everywoman's inner desire to be the center of attention and the ridiculous lengths to which she will go to attain that end. As Empress of the Arena, the lead female dancer imagines herself as the star of every act. In a vignette with the Ringmaster and Acrobat, she is the apex of a love triangle. In another scene, she performs a romantic duet as the Ringmaster's beloved. But after taking her "star turn," she is ultimately humiliated by the Ringmaster. The lone spectator, the empress' alter-ego, watches as the frenzy of the circus performance builds. The empress' movements and demeanor progress from childlike to flirtatious to addled. She is finally overcome with confusion, her actions becoming ever more undignified and absurd.

Initial reception

When the ballet debuted, many audiences and critics were astonished to see Graham's wry, witty side. Most of her dances were so serious, she had been dubbed "Mirthless Martha" by her musical director

Louis Horst Louis Horst (born January 12, 1884, Kansas City, Missouri – died January 23, 1964, New York City) was a composer, and pianist. He helped to define the principles of modern dance choreographic technique, most notably the matching of choreography t ...

.Janet Mansfield Soares,''Louis Horst: Musician in a Dancer's World'', Duke University Press, 1992, p. 168 Reviewers described her performance in ''Every Soul is a Circus'' as "poignant clowning" having a "warmth of personality",David Diamond, ''Modern Music'', December 1939 "frank and funny" and "belly-laugh provoking."

Original cast

The original cast comprised the following nine performers: * Martha Graham as the Empress of the Arena *

Erick Hawkins Frederick "Erick" Hawkins (April 23, 1909November 23, 1994) was an American modern-dance choreographer and dancer. Early life Frederick Hawkins was born in Trinidad, Colorado, on April 23, 1909. He majored in Greek civilization at Harvard Univer ...

as the Ringmaster * Merce Cunningham as the Acrobat *

Jean Erdman Jean Erdman (February 20, 1916 – May 4, 2020) was an American dancer and choreographer of modern dance as well as an avant-garde theater director. Biography Early years and background Erdman was born in Honolulu. Erdman's father, John Piney ...

as the Ideal Spectator * Nellie Fisher as the First Arenic Performer *

Sophie Maslow Sophie Maslow (March 22, 1911 – June 25, 2006) was an American choreographer, modern dancer and teacher, and founding member of New Dance Group. She was a first cousin of the American sculptor Leonard Baskin. Born in New York City in 1911 by ...

, Ethel Butler,

Marjorie Mazia Marjorie Greenblatt Guthrie (October 6, 1917 – March 13, 1983), who used Marjorie Mazia as her professional name, was a dancer, dance teacher, and health science activist. She was married to folk musician Woody Guthrie. Her children with him incl ...

, Frieda Flier as Other Arenic Performers

Structure

The dance is approximately 30-minutes long. The action takes place in 12 sequences. The original performers for each section were: # Prologue: Empress of the Arena - Martha Graham # The Ringmaster - Erick Hawkins # Parade - Nellie Fisher, Sophie Maslow, Ethel Butler, Marjorie Mazia, Frieda Flier # Training Ring - Martha Graham, Erick Hawkins # Entrance of the Spectator - Jean Erdman # The Show Begins: Star Turn - Martha Graham # Garland Entry - Sophie Maslow, Frieda Flier, Ethel Butler, Marjorie Mazia, Merce Cunningham # Arenic World 1. Triangle - Martha Graham, Erick Hawkins, Merce Cunningham # Poses and Plastiques - Nellie Fisher, Frieda Flier, Marjorie Mazia, Ethel Butler, Merce Cunningham # Arenic World 2. Duet - Martha Graham and Erick Hawkins # Aerial Interlude - Nellie Fisher, Frieda Flier, Marjorie Mazia, Ethel Butler, Merce Cunningham # Finale - Entire Company

References

{{reflist

External links

''Every Soul Is a Circus'' (excerpt), Katherine Crockett as Empress of the Arena
Ballets by Martha Graham 1939 ballet premieres Ballets set in circuses