Cave of the Heart is a ballet that was inspired by the tragedy of Medea. Its goal is to tell the story of the Sorceress, the Adventurer, the Victim and the Chorus, depicting feelings of possessive love. In the original, the female lead carries out a murderous revenge plan against the male lead’s new wife, Glauke, whose father had banished Medea from Corinth. The goal of the dance is to express the woman’s passion with a dark twist, as the main character’s feelings for her former suitor convey a more self-centered and controlling message. I consider the victim’s movements to be the most relatable, as she was caught in the crossfires of Medea’s overbearing jealousy and abusive infatuation. The latter two features are what made the Sorceress’ movements the least relatable, as her rapid movements express pure feelings and her negative emotions in a morbid manner. The choreography varies depending on the character and their personality, as Medea’s dance is quick and shaky, while the Princess demonstrates tenderness and naivete.
One notable part of the dance is where the Sorceress uses a red string to accompany her movements, such as thrusting her head, moving her hands, as though she is swimming, and twirling, expressing the exact opposite of the second female character’s personality and feelings. The ballet marked the invention of a movement called “a cave turn”, where Graham spins her head, swooping it in an arabesque penche.
I view this work as something that defines dance as a form of art and entertainment, telling a story without saying a word. I believe that the choreographer wanted to use this dance as an opportunity to create innovative movements, while retelling the tragedy of Medea in a grimmer manner. The style of the dance is closer to ballet, since it incorporates multiple spins and the male performer attempting to maintain balance while raising the female partner in the air. Thus, Cave of the Heart is a rather captivating piece of art, as it successfully tells the story through movements and concisely depicts the characters through visual means.