Martha Graham Dance Company Celebrates 100 Years

The pioneering modern dance company honors its founder's legacy with a series of mixed bills at New York City Center.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 3:25pm

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A dramatic black and white illustration featuring sharp, angular silhouettes of dancers' bodies in motion, conveying the powerful, experimental nature of Martha Graham's pioneering modern dance style.The Martha Graham Dance Company celebrates a century of groundbreaking modern dance that liberated the female body and spirit.NYC Today

The Martha Graham Dance Company, the oldest modern dance company in the United States, is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a series of performances at New York City Center. The program features some of Graham's early works, including 'Lamentation' and 'Chronicle,' which showcase her innovative use of the female body and her exploration of themes like oppression and faith. The company's current dancers, especially the women, demonstrate a deep understanding of Graham's technique and vision, using the pelvis as a 'motor of sensation and force' to reveal the tightening and liberation of the human body.

Why it matters

Martha Graham's revolutionary approach to modern dance transformed the art form, freeing the female body from conventional grace and using austere, experimental shapes to address social and political issues. As the oldest modern dance company in the US, the Martha Graham Dance Company's centennial celebration honors the enduring impact of Graham's work and vision.

The details

The Martha Graham Dance Company's centennial season at New York City Center features a mix of Graham's early works and newer pieces. The program includes 'Lamentation' (1930), 'Chronicle' (1936), 'Appalachian Spring' (1944), and 'Diversion of Angels' (1948), as well as the world premiere of 'To the Brink and Back,' a solo work choreographed by Jamar Roberts that pays homage to Graham's style and technique.

  • The Martha Graham Dance Company's centennial season runs through April 2026 at New York City Center.
  • The company's mixed bill programs featuring Graham's early works and new pieces are being performed from April 8-12, 2026.

The players

Martha Graham

The founder of the Martha Graham Dance Company and a pioneering figure in modern dance who revolutionized the art form through her innovative use of the female body and exploration of social and political themes.

Jamar Roberts

A choreographer who created the world premiere work 'To the Brink and Back' for the Martha Graham Dance Company's centennial celebration, which pays homage to Graham's distinctive technique and style.

Lloyd Knight

A stellar dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company who performed the solo work 'To the Brink and Back' choreographed by Jamar Roberts.

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What they’re saying

“To witness Graham's hard-won vision in action is to see how she freed dance and the female body from conventional grace. In her work, there is 'the grace resulting from faith,' she once wrote, 'faith in life, in love, in people, in the act of dancing.'”

— Gia Kourlas, Author

“Even though they are generations removed from Graham, who died in 1991, members of the current Martha Graham Dance Company, especially the women, understand this devotion as they use the pelvis as a motor of sensation and force. More than just a dance language, the technique of contraction and release reveals the tightening and liberation not just of a dancer's body, but of any body.”

— Gia Kourlas, Author

What’s next

The Martha Graham Dance Company's centennial celebration at New York City Center will continue through April 2026, with additional mixed bill programs featuring Graham's iconic works as well as new pieces inspired by her legacy.

The takeaway

Martha Graham's pioneering modern dance company has endured for a century, keeping her revolutionary vision and technique alive through generations of dancers. The company's centennial celebration honors Graham's lasting impact on the art form and her ability to use dance to address social and political issues, empowering the female body and spirit.