American Icons: Appalachian Spring

Appalachian Spring

In the summer of 1942, composer Aaron Copland accepted a commission of $500 to write the score for a new dance program for choreographer Martha Graham. The now legendary ballet, Appalachian Spring premiered two years later.

Graham’s dance follows a frontier bride and groom as they settle into their house, and get to know each other and their strict new community. In the course of the dance the couple is visited by a revivalist preacher, a flock of four young female followers, and an experienced pioneer woman.

For our ongoing series on American Icons, we asked Jocelyn Gonzales to look into how this collaboration between Graham and Copland created a work that seems to define the American character.

Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland (1900- 1990) was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. He drew from American folk music, jazz, and European classical music to create a uniquely American sound. His best known works include Fanfare for the Common Man, scores for the ballets Rodeo, Billy the Kid, and Appalachian Spring (for which he won a Pultizer Prize in 1944) and film scores for The Red Pony and Our Town.

Martha Graham

Martha Graham (1894-1991) is considered the leading pioneer of 20th century modern dance. As a dancer, teacher, and choregrapher she threw out the strict forms and gestures that shaped traditional ballet, and blazed the trail for a new language of dance. Her best known works include Appalachian Spring and Cave of the Heart. Her students included Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, Merce Cunningham, and Paul Taylor, all of whom have continued Graham's legacy in revolutionizing modern dance in America.