Martha Graham Dance Company Announces Appalachian Spring Holiday Event

As part of its Studio Series, the Martha Graham Dance Company will present a special holiday performance of Martha Graham's beloved masterwork Appalachian Spring. The complete dance will be presented in costume and with the classic Noguchi set, and will be introduced by Graham Company Artistic Director Janet Eilber. Performances are Friday, December 1, at 7pm, and Saturday, December 2, at 1pm (family matinee) and 6pm.

One of Graham's most celebrated works, Appalachian Spring (1944), has been called "shining and joyous" and "a testimony to the simple fineness of the human spirit" (The New York Times). The work is set to Aaron Copland's Pulitzer prize-winning score and features a spare set by Graham's longtime collaborator Isamu Noguchi. Each performance will feature a different cast of Graham Company members.

All performances are suitable for all ages. For the family matinee on Saturday, there will be Americana crafts for the children, snacks, and a chance to try some moves from the dance and be photographed with the dancers.

Tickets are $45 (general). Admission for one child is included in the purchase of an adult ticket using the promo code "Spring." Tickets for additional children are $20. Student tickets: $20. Tickets can be purchased online or by phone at www.marthagraham.org / 866-811-4111. The Martha Graham Studio Theater is located at 55 Bethune Street, 11th Floor, in Manhattan.

About the Graham Studio Series

The Graham Studio Series offers performances and discussions in the intimate setting of the Martha Graham Dance Company's West Village studios. The Studio Series includes GrahamDeconstructed, which offers audiences an opportunity to view the great Graham works up close and to hear about the artistic and historical context of their creation from Artistic Director Janet Eilber; NEW@Graham, which provides audiences with a look inside the creative process of new works commissioned by the Company; and Shoot the Dancers, which features conversations with leading dance photographers followed by an informal performance by the Graham Company. Audience members are invited to photograph the dancers in action.

About the Martha Graham Dance Company

The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a leader in the development of contemporary dance since its founding in 1926. Today, the Company is embracing a new programming vision that showcases masterpieces by Graham alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists. With programs that unite the work of choreographers across time within a rich historical and thematic narrative, the Company is actively working to create new platforms for contemporary dance and multiple points of access for audiences.

Since its inception, the Martha Graham Dance Company has received international acclaim from audiences in more than 50 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The Company has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House, Covent Garden, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as at the base of the Great Pyramids in Egypt and in the ancient Herod Atticus Theatre on the Acropolis in Athens. In addition, the Company has also produced several award-winning films broadcast on PBS and around the world. For more information about the Company, visit: www.marthagraham.org.