An Appalachian summer, a legacy forever spring

Dancers, a baker’s dozen of them, will be diving into rehearsals today for a pair of performances of Martha Graham’s famed “Appalachian Spring” and other contemporary dance works at Wintergreen’s Evans Center.

It’s a homecoming of sorts, as the work that became an American classic by uniting Graham’s landmark choreography with Aaron Copland’s iconic music in a tale of the frontier and the unquenchable spirit of a nation will be performed in the midst of the mountains surrounding the Nelson County resort.

Larry Alan Smith, artistic and executive director of the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival, is a composer with an ear and an eye for coincidence and convergence, someone who knows how ideas and art forms snap together seamlessly to create comprehensive experiences. But despite his knack for combining performances and activities to complement his festival themes, he couldn’t have predicted the bittersweet edge that the final major concert of the season would have.

Graham II, the performing ensemble of the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, will help Wintergreen Performing Arts bring this summer’s festival, “Appalachian Roots,” to a close with performances Saturday and Sunday — just a week after the death of famed dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham.

Cunningham, who turned 90 in April — the same month he unveiled his new dance work

“Nearly 90” — died Sunday. He originated the role of the Revivalist in “Appalachian Spring” and many others during his fruitful six years as a leading dancer in Graham’s groundbreaking company before leaving to break ground of his own with a solo career and his own dance company.

So visitors who come to the performances will want to plan on arriving early. At 5:15 p.m. Saturday, before the 6 p.m. show, and at 2:15 p.m. Sunday, before the 3 p.m. concert, Smith will present a talk.

Peggy Lyman Hayes, former principal dancer of Martha Graham Dance Company will be a special guest for the talks and the performances by the company led by Virginie Mecene, the artistic director of Graham II and director of the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.

Hayes reflected on Cunningham’s contributions to Graham’s work.

“He was like Martha — he kept charging through. He barely got off the stage,” Hayes said warmly. “He was one of Martha’s first male dancers. It’s the passing of another icon.”

The way that today’s young dancers approach “Appalachian Spring” and Graham’s other works reflect the innovative spirit of the group’s founder.

Hayes said the dancers create their own interpretations of the famous dance roles through a combination of looking to past performances, diving into the choreography and adding their own inspirations.

“It’s such a beautiful quilt,” Hayes said of the process. She said the dancers log plenty of hours in the archives viewing past dancers’ work — including Cunningham’s. “That’s really our fuel,” she said.

But in keeping with Graham’s gift for pursuing new ideas, they’ll be applying their own training and insights to craft their own performances. The Blue Ridge Mountain setting may bring in a whole new dose of inspiration as the dancers prepare for this weekend’s performances.

“They’ll be thrilled to be here in this beautiful, wild and cherished landscape,” said Hayes, who also will present this week’s festival Saturday Seminar at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the Nelson Room of the Trillium House.

dance

Graham II

Wintergreen Summer Music Festival

6 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday

Evans Center at Wintergreen

Pre-concert talks with Larry Alan Smith at 5:15 p.m. Saturday and 2:15 p.m. Sunday

$35; $10 ages 10 to 17; free if younger than 10

http://www.wintergreenperformingarts.org

325-8292