Martha Graham Dance Company Will Host Two Special Events Focusing on Martha Graham and Design

This November, the Martha Graham Dance Company will present two events centered on Martha Graham’s collaborations with fashion designer Halston (November 12) and sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi (November 13). Both evenings will be co-hosted by Gabriel Hendifar, Artistic Director of the international interdisciplinary design studio APPARATUS, and Martha Graham Dance Company Artistic Director Janet Eilber. 

These special events will take place on November 12 and 13, at 7pm, at the Martha Graham Studio Theater, 55 Bethune Street, 11th Floor, in Manhattan. Tickets are$60/$100 for a pair. Tickets are available at marthagraham.org/studioseries/.

Graham + Halston: The Original Celebrity Collaboration 

Tuesday, November 12, 7pm

Special Guest Ralph Rucci

This rare event provides an insider’s look at the Graham/Halston friendship. The two artists, who were great friends, collaborated on more than 20 design projects throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The evening will include performances by the Company in excerpts of works featuring costumes created by Halston, including Lucifer(1975) and Conversation of Lovers from Acts of Light (1981). Exclusive media and remembrances about Graham and Halston from those who were in the room will also be part of this special program. Several archival Halston costumes will also be on display. Acclaimed fashion designer Ralph Rucci, who was a close associate of Halston, will join Hendifar and Eilber for a conversation and Q&A with the audience. Audience members are invited to stay for a wine reception following the discussion. 

Graham + Noguchi: The Essentials of American Modernism 

Wednesday, November 13, 7pm

Special Guest Camille Okhio

Graham and Noguchi’s indelible, ongoing influence on contemporary design is at the center of this gathering. Graham and Noguchi collaborated on more than 20 works between 1935 and 1988. Archival media and dancing will provide insight into how the iconic Noguchi sets are integrated into Graham’s choreography. Excerpts from Graham’s masterwork Cave of the Heart (1946) will be performed by the Company. Writer, curator, and historian Camille Okhio will join Hendifar and Eilber in a discussion about how these 20th-century geniuses continue to resonate in today’s design world. Audience members are invited to stay for wine and conversation after the event, where they will be able to view several Noguchi set pieces up close.