Errand_into_the_Maze
Errand into the Maze
1947 ballet by Martha Graham
Errand into the Maze is a Martha Graham ballet based on a poem by Ben Belitt set to music by Gian Carlo Menotti. The surrealistic set was designed by Isamu Noguchi, the costumes by Graham herself.[1] The dance uses the Greek myth of Ariadne and the Minotaur to explore the theme of conquering one's inner demons, more specifically the fear of sexual intimacy.[2] The piece premiered at the Ziegfeld Theatre on February 28, 1947, with Graham as the protagonist, a sort of female Theseus,[3] and Mark Ryder as the Minotaur-like character.
Errand into the Maze is one of Graham's best-known and most popular ballets. It remains in the Martha Graham Dance Company repertory.[4] Deborah Jowitt's 2024 biography of Graham takes its title from this work.[5]