Martha Graham Dance Company

It is impossible to overstate Martha Graham’s influence on dance in the past century. Her distinctive, groundbreaking movement technique has been carried in dancers’ bodies for generations; the works she commissioned have grown and multiplied over hundreds of performances; and her contributions to the art of stage design and dance production are countless.

As early as the 1930s, the members of her company reflected diverse cultural backgrounds, and Graham’s commitment to experimentation and attention to contemporary social, political, psychological, and gender issues has forever altered the scope and direction of the art form.

The extraordinary Graham company returns to Cal Performances for the first time in more than a decade to celebrate its 100th anniversary with classic Graham works such as the iconic Appalachian Spring, the psychological thriller Night Journey, and the anti-war protest Chronicle—all featuring Isamu Noguchi’s original sets—alongside newly commissioned dances by some of today’s most compelling choreographers. Jamar Roberts’ We the People, a collaboration with roots musician Rhiannon Giddens, explores rage and resistance; and in-demand choreography team Baye & Asa creates a new work in response to Graham’s seminal war protest, Cortege of Eagles. Hope Boykin, Ailey alumna and respected choreographer for dance, theater, and film, also premieres a new work.

“I wanted to begin not with characters or ideas, but with movements…I wanted significant movement. I did not want it to be beautiful or fluid. I wanted it to be fraught with inner meaning, with excitement and surge.” —Martha Graham