Like a pearl, an artist who can devote herself equally to performing, choreographing, and teaching, is uniquely rounded. Pearl Lang (1921–2009) was such a person, and she made no hierarchical distinctions in her three-pronged career. Lang’s devotion to her craft led her to become one of the mid-century’s most heralded modern dancers and choreographers, famous […]
I came to New York after I finished high school in Tokyo, in 1979. I didn’t know much about New York or the dance scene there. I got my student visa through the Joffrey Ballet School, and I started to take modern class at The Ailey School. After auditioning, I got a scholarship to Ailey […]
Originally published in print August 2015 Anna Sokolow (1910–2000) was a prolific choreographer fiercely committed to social justice and unafraid to deal with difficult subjects in her work—like war, poverty, isolation and strife. Born in Connecticut to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Sokolow moved to New York City as a child and studied dance at an after-school […]
Martha Graham Dance Company created The EVE Project to mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of U.S. women’s right to vote. The female-focused initiative includes new works, as well as the company’s classic repertoire highlighting Martha Graham’s heroines and antiheroines. In April, the company is showing the newly reconstructed Circe, Graham’s 1963 interpretation of the Greek […]
In a sun-soaked studio in Manhattan, members of the Martha Graham Dance Company (all women) lie on the floor with their feet and heads hovering off the ground. Choreographer Bobbi Jene Smith encourages the dancers to be unapologetic about being looked at as their bodies begin to tremble with exhaustion and they move into a […]
As you assemble your gratitude list for this Thanksgiving, stop and consider some of the works that paved the way for the diverse dance world we enjoy today. Whether they introduced a radical new style of movement, controversial subject matter or a particularly poignant message, these five works broke choreographic barriers and have withstood the […]
Martha Graham was the “Mother of Modern Dance,” influencing generations of dance artists with her incomparable choreography and technique that featured the pioneering concept of contraction and release. But did you know… 1. Graham frequently created her own costumes. In a 1989 interview, Graham commented, “Dance is theater and larger than life. Makeup and costume, […]
To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Damian Woetzel’s leadership at the Vail International Dance Festival, a new four-day event will be held in New York City, November 3–6. Vail Dance Festival: ReMix NYC brings three programs to New York City Center, along with a special lecture/demonstration focused on footwork, hosted by Woetzel. Featured performers include: […]
For 12 years, Italian choreographer Caterina Rago studied Graham technique with Elsa Piperno at the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome. Piperno taught her to be comfortable taking risks. “She encouraged us to push beyond our limits to understand what our limits were. I remember her saying, ‘Even if you fall on the floor, you know […]
Martha Graham (left) “Great dancers are not great because of their technique. They are great because of their passion.” —Martha Graham “To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on Earth and it is yours for the taking” —Agnes de Mille “Art is the […]