Stage makeup is one of those things dancers are always trying to perfect—it takes a lot of trial and error to get those pristine eyeliner wings or that perfect eyeshadow/lip combo. Luckily, the Internet is overflowing with wonderful tutorials from some of the most seasoned dancers out there, and Martha Graham Dance Company‘s Lloyd Knight has a […]
Ah, Independence Day. (Or as we like to call it around here, Indepen-DANCE day—it never gets old!) A whole 24 hours of hot dogs, corn on the cob, Popsicles, fireworks and red white and blue everything. Let’s get this partay started! To get us all in the spirit, here’s part two of Dance Spirit‘s roundup […]
As a student at Wayne State University, Sonya Tayeh had one of those experiences that seem to change everything: She saw Martha Graham’s seminal solo, Lamentation. Fast-forward a decade or so, and Tayeh is revisiting that defining moment. Fresh off another groundbreaking season on “So You Think You Can Dance,” Tayeh was one of four […]
Taylor photographed by Paul Palmaro What choreographers inspire you? My list goes on forever, but Paul Taylor has always been at the top of it. Taylor started out dancing for pioneers like Martha Graham and later became a visionary craftsman, making more than 100 dances and winning numerous awards. New Yorkers can catch the Paul […]
A week after Hurricane Sandy drowned the East Coast, news of damage from the storm is still trickling in. This weekend brought an especially depressing bulletin: The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance lost some of its historic sets and costumes to Sandy-related flooding. Materials for Graham dances Clytemnestra, Cave of the Heart, Embattled Garden […]
Describing dance is one of the hardest things in the world to do. But in the right hands, dance’s poetry has a singular power to inspire beautiful, memorable words. Here are a few of my favorite dance quotes. They’re the sayings I look to on bad days, when I’m feeling depressed or stuck or unmotivated. […]
Today the contemporary dance family tree has all kinds of offshoots, but its base includes four modern dance branches: the techniques created by Martha Graham, José Limón, Lester Horton and Merce Cunningham. Even if you don’t consider yourself a modern dancer, getting to know these foundational styles will make you a stronger, more versatile performer, […]