Maple Leaf Rag (ballet) on stage, he tears off her skirt. "Maple Leaf Rag" was Graham's 180th choreographic work. Even so, reviewers noted, she still had the capacity to surprise and delight. "The new piece is an entertaining poke by a genius at her own cliches, tersely and wittily stated," wrote "The New York Times"' Anna Kisselgoff. A critic seeing a much later performance said, "While she worked out her obsessions onstage, Graham also had a keen but oft-overlooked sense of humor. Set to several Scott Joplin rags that were still in vogue during her teenage years, "Maple Leaf Rag" is a sly and
Maple Leaf Rag time. "Gladiolus Rag", a later composition by Joplin, is a developed variant of the "Maple Leaf Rag," showcasing Joplin's increasing musical sophistication, and is usually played at a somewhat slower tempo. In addition, the first strain of Joplin's "The Cascades," "Leola," and "Sugar Cane" are modeled on the structure used in the composition. In 1903 Stark issued a "Maple Leaf Rag Song", an arrangement of Joplin's music with words by Sydney Brown. Brown's lyrics tell the story of a poor man from Accomack County, Virginia, who stumbles into a ballroom where, in spite of his anxiety over the state of