Maple Leaf Rag (ballet) she exits, the ensemble returns to joyous movement. The ballet is approximately 15 minutes in length. Three Scott Joplin rags provide the work's structure: "Maple Leaf Rag" (1899) opens the dance, followed by the waltz "Bethena" (1905) and "Elite Syncopations" (1902); a reprise of "Maple Leaf Rag" concludes the dance. The work is brimming with parodies of Graham's signature moves and send-ups of her best-known dances. Her twirling white-clad surrogate crosses the stage intermittently, accompanied each time by ill-boding percussive piano. Graham also pokes fun at the overwrought sexuality of some her repertory. Just before darkness hides the remaining couple
Maple Leaf Rag Rag" is still a favorite of ragtime pianists, and has been described as an "American institution... still in print and still popular". As the copyright has expired, the composition is in the public domain. It appears in the soundtracks of hundreds of films, cartoons, commercials, and video games. In 2004 Canadian radio listeners voted it the 39th greatest song of all time. In Joplin's will, he requested that "Maple Leaf Rag" be played at his funeral. When preparations were being made however, his wife did not allow it because she did not think it was a proper funeral song. She