Portraits of a Lady
Martha Graham is the Georgia O’Keefe of dance. No matter what the source material, the primary subject of her works is womanhood.
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Staging the biographical details of someone’s life is by no means an easy task; doing so for a figure who was complex and controversial amplifies this charge to a new level. When Queensland Ballet announced that it was bringing Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s “Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon” to Brisbane, the reception was anticipatory but hesitant. Ochoa is a skilled choreographer with a talent for narrative ballets, but could Ochoa present the celebrity of Coco Chanel while also tackling her ties to the Nazi regime during World War II? To the ballet’s credit, it addresses these issues head-on. It presents the life of a woman whom the audience can appreciate but also not agree with. It makes smart dramaturgical choices and is a strong co-production by Queensland Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet.
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Martha Graham is the Georgia O’Keefe of dance. No matter what the source material, the primary subject of her works is womanhood.
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