Adolescence (ballet)

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Adolescence (Prelude and Song) was an early modern dance solo choreographed by Martha Graham to music by Paul Hindemith. It premiered on March 2, 1929, at the Booth Theatre in New York City.{{cite web|title=Adolescence (Prelude and Song) (Ballet choreographed by Martha Graham)|url=http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200182594/default.html|website=Performing Arts Encyclopedia, Library of Congress|accessdate=12 February 2016}}

The all-solo program included two other new works, Danza and Resurrection, and eight previously performed pieces: Dance, Immigrant, Valses Sentimentales, Four Insincerities, Tanagra, Two Variations from Sonatina, Fragilité and Fragments.{{cite web|title=Martha Graham, Booth Theatre, March 3, 1929 (concert program)|url=http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200153340/enlarge.html?page=1§ion=&size=640|website=Performing Arts Encyclopedia, Library of Congress|accessdate=12 February 2016}}

Seattle's Week Town Crier described the work as depicting youth, "curious, yearning, fearful, swept away by strange visions and dreams. A very difficult, complex thing made sweepingly beautiful by its utter simplicity and sincerity."{{cite news|title=The Dance: Martha Graham supreme|url=http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200153698/pageturner.html|accessdate=12 February 2016|work=Week Town Crier|date=June 11, 1930}} Dance Magazine's reviewer called the solo "delicate and sensitive."{{cite news|last1=Watkins|first1=Mary F.|title=Review of Martha Graham Recital of April 14, 1929|url=http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200153353/pageturner.html|accessdate=12 February 2016|work=Dance Magazine|date=July 1929}}

The New York Times critic wrote, "The dancer has achieved an exquisite result. Simple and stark in design, it is at the same time warm and tender in mood, childishly frank and yet deft and penetrating. It is the happiest use Miss Graham has yet made of her economy of movement, and perhaps the least inclined in the direction of ugliness."{{cite news|title=Martha Graham's Recital|url=http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200153343/pageturner.html|accessdate=12 February 2016|work=The New York Times|date=March 4, 1929}}