One of the foremost American choreographers of the twentieth century, a modern dance pioneer, and the creator of an important technique for training dancers, Martha Graham (1894-1991) studied at the Denishawn School in Los Angeles. There she was inspired by Ruth St. Denis and mentored by Ted Shawn, performing with Denishawn until 1923. Her own company, founded in 1926, became a breeding ground for seminal artists such as Erick Hawkins, Merce Cunningham, and Paul Taylor. Although Shawn made many attempts to bring the Graham Company to the Pillow, the only formal appearance during his lifetime was a 1960 lecture-demonstration, and the Company’s official Pillow debut in 1984 was an emotional homecoming for Graham. Now under the direction of former principal dancer Janet Eilber, the company has made several return visits to the Pillow since Graham’s death in 1991, presenting classics such as Night Journey, The Rite of Spring, and Chronicle. The Company has also commissioned new works by choreographers such as Mats Ek and Nacho Duato, whose program note for the work seen here expresses his desire to stir awareness in a public seemingly indifferent to the true horror of torture.
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