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 Nacho Duato and Mats Ek. This eminent Swedish choreographer was inspired by seeing a Graham performance in the 1950s, and he decided to adapt an existing film into this performance work especially for the Graham dancers.
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