Martha Graham Dance Company Celebrates 100 Years With Arizona Arts Live Featuring UA School Of Dance

The University of Arizona's Arizona Arts Live will present GRAHAM100, a landmark centennial celebration of the Martha Graham Dance Company, one of the most influential forces in modern dance.

For one night only-March 19, 2025, at Centennial Hall-this evening showcases the bold legacy of Martha Graham through a compelling blend of masterworks and contemporary pieces, honoring her lasting impact on dance and culture.

Curated under the theme Dances of the Mind, this program delves into Graham's groundbreaking psychological explorations, her complex female protagonists, and her longstanding artistic collaboration with renowned sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Audiences will experience iconic works, including Immediate Tragedy (1937), Errand into the Maze (1947), CAVE (2022), and We the People (2024).

Adding to the evening's significance, students from the University of Arizona's School of Dance will perform Steps in the Street, a striking excerpt from Graham's 1936 work Chronicle. Originally premiering in New York at the Guild Theater, this piece was created in response to the rising threat of fascism in Europe after Graham refused an invitation to perform at the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany.

"Martha Graham redefined movement, storytelling, and the very essence of what dance could be," said Chad Herzog, Executive and Artistic Director of Arizona Arts Live. "To host this legendary company during its centennial is a historic moment for Southern Arizona. This performance not only celebrates Graham's profound artistic legacy but also connects our own, University of Arizona School of Dance students to that lineage, giving them a chance to dance in the footsteps of one of modern dance's true pioneers."

GRAHAM100 extends beyond the stage with an array of projects, including a three-season collaboration with Long Beach Opera, a PBS documentary by seven-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Schnall, a new book by NYC Dance Project, a national lesson plan for educators, and archival exhibitions spanning the company's 100-year history.

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