
Terpsikon
Vol. I
Created and Written by Christine Dakin
Christine Dakin, former principal dancer and Artistic Director of the Martha Graham Dance Company, shares her deep knowledge of Graham's revolutionary technique through the dancers bodies, original music, visual metaphor, and her poetic and practical commentary.
“These floor and standing sequences are fundamental to Martha Graham's technique. I've included variations I learned from my teachers, the marvelous dancers of the generations before me, and some of my own. The sequences are in the order of a regular class, but can be seen in any order.
(click here for a video version of this introduction)
Each of the fifteen sequences of this first volume of the Terpsikon is shown in three dimensions: simply, with its orientation in space clear; in different bodies and unique angles; and expanding from the work of the dancer's body to the world of imagination.
In the classical world the elements were: earth, water, air, and fire. I feel the elements of Martha Graham's dance as: weight, breath, and opposition. In the matrix of these three, Martha created her movement vocabulary with contraction, release, and spiral.
Seeing the technique in the dancers bodies I want to show its beauty, complexity and musicality; show its connection to the natural world and the other arts, and its space for individual style. And to suggest how the technique that Martha developed over the entire course of her life, emerged from her dances, and was at the heart of her creative process. Every Martha Graham dancer and teacher has a unique style, their own way of understanding and passing on the technique. We are connected to Martha Graham's deep tradition through the technique as it lives in the bodies of her dancers and teachers.
The dancers and musicians are professionals from Mexico and the US. From the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Ballet Nacional de México, Univerdanza, the Ballet Folklórico of the University of Colima, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The dancers have spent their lives studying, training in and teaching Martha Graham's technique. Many were also trained in the deep tradition of Mexican folkloric dance, and in classical ballet. The Graham technique is deep in their bodies, and they have made it their own. The musicians are masters of the art of improvisation, knowing the Graham technique as deeply as do the dancers, and creating the glorious music that draws out its colors and rhythms and shows the intimate and powerful connection between dance and music.
I have worked with these dancers and musicians for decades. They have learned from me, and I from them. This is my personal poetic of Martha Graham's dance. The Terpsikon celebrates the revolutionary technique at the heart of Martha Graham's dance, and the dancers who embody it.”
Dancers: Heidi Nicole Stoeckley (Martha Graham Dance Company), Samuel Lee Roberts (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), Adriana León, Alejandro Vera, Karla Coyazo (Univerdanza), Sergio Pérez Morales, Raul Almeida (Ballet Nacional de Mexico); Viviana Nava, Cristian Azael Gutiérrez Vega, Alfredo (Fredy) Torres Gómez (Ballet Folklórico University of Colima)
Musicians: Pat Daugherty (pianist, composer), Scott Morehouse (percussion, composer), Eduardo González (pianist, composer), Pedro Palacios Gómez (percussionist/ composer, Ballet Folklórico of the University of Colima).
The Terpsikon emerged out of the Voz del Cuerpo project which began with the film La Voz del Cuerpo / The Body Speaks, premiered in 2013 and seen in film festivals, museums and universities since then. You can read more about the Voz del Cuerpo project, its background and its artists at the Voz del Cuerpo project
The Artists
with dancers of the
Ballet Folklórico of the University of Colima
Available Sequences
To access Vimeo on Demand for the video of these sequences,
click the appropriate language tab above.

Breathing 2 and 4
- Viviana Nava and Alejandro Avalos
- Musicians: Scott Morehouse and Pat Daugherty

Breathing with spiral, 3 and 6
- Viviana Nava and Alejandro Avalos
- Musicians: Pat Daugherty, Pedro Palacios Gómez, Scott Morehouse

Breathing with spiral, leg extension
- Viviana Nava and Alejandro Avalos
- Musicians: Pat Daugherty, Scott Morehouse, Eduardo González and Pedro Palacios Gómez

Sitting contractions, feet together
- Karla Coyazo and Alfredo Torres Gómez
- Musicians: Pedro Palacios Gómez, Pat Daugherty, Eduardo González

Deep contractions, 3 developments
- Adriana León Arana and Alejandro Avalos
- Musicians: Scott Morehouse, Pat Daugherty and Pedro Palacios Gómez,

Parallel deep contractions, sitting (Dakin)
- Karla Coyazo and Alfredo Torres Gómez
- Musicians: Pedro Palacios Gómez, Eduardo González

4th position turns around the back
- Heidi Nicole Stoeckley, Adriana León Arana and Alejandro Avalos
- Musicians: Pat Daugherty, Eduardo González, Pedro Palacios Gómez

Exercise on 6
- Cristian Azael Gutiérrez Vega and Viviana Nava
- Musicians: Pat Daugherty, Scott Morehouse, and Músicos del Ballet Folklórico de la Universidad de Colima.

Sitting back fall
- Raúl Almeida and Viviana Nava
- Musicians: Eduardo González and Pedro Palacios Gómez, Pat Daugherty

Back fall, sitting and from the knees
- Sergio Pérez Morales and Raúl Almeida
- Musicians: Eduardo González and Pedro Palacios Gómez, Pat Daugherty

Knee falls back and traveling
- Sergio Pérez Morales
- Musician: Scott Morehouse

Early pleading variation (Jane Dudley)
- Alejandro Avalos and Adriana León Arana
- Musicians: Eduardo González and Pedro Palacios Gómez

Circular walks, low and high
- Heidi Nicole Stoeckley and Samuel Lee Roberts, Viviana Nava
- Musicians: Scott Morehouse, Eduardo González, and Músicos del Ballet Folklórico de la Universidad de Colima.

Standing parallel contractions side
- Cristian Azael Gutiérrez Vega and Adriana León Arana
- Heidi Nicole Stoeckley, Samuel Lee Roberts, Karla Coyazo
- Musicians: Pedro Palacios Gómez, Pat Daugherty

Standing parallel contractions side with pretzel sit
- Sergio Pérez Morales and Alejandro Avalos, Heidi Nicole Stoeckley
- Musicians: Eduardo González and Pedro Palacios Gómez Night Journey, Composer William Schuman
Terpsikon
a dictionary
Fundamental sequences of Martha Graham’s technique
Vol. I
Directed and Written by Christine Dakin
With admiration and thanks to the incredible dancers and musicians from the United States and Mexico, for their generosity, dedication to a life of dance, and passion for Martha Graham’s technique.
and to
Maestro Rafael Zamarripa Castañeda
for his deep friendship and commitment to the teaching of Martha Graham’s technique.
The Artists
Colima, Mexico
Adriana León Arana (Dancer, coordinator)
Viviana Nava (Dancer)
Pedro Palacios Gómez (Musician, composer)
Karla Coyazo (Dancer)
Cristian Azael Gutiérrez Vega (Dancer)
Alfredo (Fredy) Torres Gómez (Dancer)
Mexico City, Mexico
New York, USA
Samuel Lee Roberts (Dancer)
Pat Daugherty (Musician, composer)
Scott Morehouse (Musician, composer)
Queretaro, Mexico
Raúl Almeida (Dancer)
Music
original, created live, and performed by
Pat Daugherty, Eduardo González, Pedro Palacios Gómez, Scott Morehouse
Costume
Sergio Pérez Morales
Text translation with
Jaime Blanc – Spanish
Editing
Steve Mauer
Colorist
Brock Labrenz, An Films LLC
Sound Recording
John Kilgore, Kilgore Sound and Recording
Pedro Palacios Gómez
Sound Engineering
Roman Klun
Additional video
Jason Nogoy, Enrique Chávez Flores
Web Site design and construction
Jon Crump / Neolography.com
Media Consultant
Annalisa Ferrante
Artistic Collaboration and Coordination
Maestro Rafael Zamarripa Castañeda
Director of the Ballet Folklórico of the University of Colima
Dancers of the Ballet Folklórico of the Universidad de Colima
Juan Carlos Gaytan, Zoraida Cruz Andrade, Perla Damara Cruz Reyes, Omar Alejandro Rojas Ramos, Salvador Sánchez Baraja, Iris Godínez Astorga, Laura Celina Barajas Velasco, Alejandra Torres Larios, Tonatiuh Medina, Ulises Sanabria
Musicians of the Ballet Folklórico of the University of Colima
Ramón Chávez, Jesús Hernández, Jesús Larios, Roberto Mendoza, Cesar Mendoza, Jesús Mendoza, Juan Partida, Ramón Preciado, Guadalupe Preciado, Arnoldo Salazar
Filmed by
Televisión Universitaria, Universidad de Colima, Colima, México
Former Director, Mtro. Miguel Macías Amador
Director, Coordinador de producción Jorge Martínez Durán
Producción
Edith Bracamontes Ceballos
Dirección de cámaras y switcher
Mario Hernández Barreda y Jorge Martínez Durán
Cámara
Jorge Martínez Durán, Alma Méndez Trujillo, Aristani Álvarez López, Hugo Ramírez Rodríguez, Mario Ramírez Ramírez, José Luis Macías Quintero, Jorge Farías López
Audio
Ayax Isais Amezcua, Eustolio Magaña Silva
Video tape
Adriana Salgado de la Torre
Coordinación Técnica
Salvador Díaz Cossío
Asistencia de producción
Alejandro Ramírez Huerta, Yunuén Amezcua Chávez, Paulina Rivera Cervantes, Adriana Salgado de la Torre, Javier Venegas Batista, Monserrat Preciado Ramírez
in collaboration with
Teatro Universitario de Universidad de Colima
Director de Teatro y Producción
Jonathon Aparicio Jiménez
Aline González Balcázar, Sergio Figueroa Morales, Abraham Anguiano Alcaráz, Siuni Aparicio Fuentes, Julio Hernández Huitzil, Salvador Saucedo Gaspar, Inés Sosa García
Institute of Fine Arts and the Ballet Folklórico of the Universidad de Colima
Director - Dr. Anatoly Zatine
With thanks to former Director Esc. Mario Rendón y Lozano
Coordinador General del Departamento de Danza - Mtro. Rafael Zamarripa Castañeda
Ricardo Munguía de la Cruz -
Coordinador Técnico
Raul Ojeda, Juan Pablo Gaytán - Asistentes, Dir. de Taller de Mtro Zamarripa
Licda. Ma. Guadalupe Reyes Teodoro - Coordinadora Administrativa del Departamento de Danza
Lic. Miguel González Cervantes -
Coordinador Académico del Departamento de Danza
Prof. Juan Carlos Gaytán Rodríguez - Subdirector del Ballet Folklórico de la Universidad de Colima
Lic. Cristian Azael Gutiérrez Vega - Coordinador Administrativo del Ballet
Folklórico de la Universidad de Colima
Cp. Julio Pérez Preciado - Secretario Administrativo del Instituto Universitario de Bellas Artes
Laura Elena Gutiérrez Cortes - Secretaria del Departamento de Danza
Lic. Fortunato
Larios Mejía - Coordinador de Talleres Libres del Departamento de Danza
Lic. Enrique Chávez Flores - Relaciones Públicas
Secretario General de la Universidad de Colima - Mtro. Christian Jorge Torres Ortíz Zermeño
Coordinador General de Extensión Universitaria - Arq. Juan Diego Gaytan Rodríguez
Departamento de Arte y Cultura - Directora Licda. Gilda Glenda Callejas Azoy
Created with the generous patronage of the University of Colima, Colima, México
Dr. Ramón Arturo Cedillo Nakay - Rector
Special thanks to
M.C. Miguel Ángel Aguayo López, ex Rector de la Universidad de Colima (2005-2012)
for his extraordinary vision in support of the arts and La Voz del Cuerpo
Development supported by
Additional support by
With thanks to
Emilia Gracida for her friendship and support
Lic. Gabriela Pascal, Fundación Alfredo Harp Hélu
Filmed in Colima and Michoacán, México
Music composed, created live and played for Terpsikon rights reserved © musicians
Photographs - Chuck Kimball ©
Drawing of Martha Graham - LeRoy Neiman ©
Repertory excerpt
Night Journey – choreography Martha Graham, music - William Schuman
adapted for Terpsikon - La Voz del Cuerpo / The Body Speaks
with sculpture by Mtro. Rafael Zamarripa Castañeda
Company classes and Master classes
filmed with dancers, teachers at the Universidad de Colima, MX
Personal thanks to
Maestro Jaime Blanc y Elena Albano for wisdom and friendship
LeRoy Neiman, for his spirit and color
and in gratitude and remembrance of
Maestra Guillermina Bravo, the root of the Mexican dance
community
Terpsikon
a dictionary
Fundamental sequences of Martha Graham’s technique
Vol. I
© Christine Dakin all rights reserved 2019