{{Short description|Headquarters of a dance company in New York City, U.S.}} {{coord|40.7626|-73.9619|type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NY|display=title}} thumb|Martha Graham School headquarters as of 1994, at 316 East 63rd Street, New York. Though the school has since moved from this location, this is the last studio that Martha Graham herself taught in.
'''Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance''' is located in New York City and is the headquarters to the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and the Martha Graham Dance Company, which is the oldest continually performing contemporary dance company in the world. The School is focused on teaching Graham's technique; some of its faculty were trained by Graham herself.<ref>{{cite web|last1=<!--Staff writer-->|title=Martha Graham School|url=http://marthagraham.org/school/|website=marthagraham.org|publisher=Martha Graham School|accessdate=13 March 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312202302/http://marthagraham.org/school/|archivedate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
== History == The center was founded in 1926 by Martha Graham. Its first headquarters consisted of a small dance studio on Broadway. The center later moved to a two-story building at 316 East 63rd Street, New York. (Photo on right by Dean Speer, taken after he had taken a class at "the Source." 1994. Caption authored by Speer as well.)
After Martha Graham's death in 1991, the center's leadership was debated. In her will, Martha Graham left Ron Protas as heir to her estate. Protas claimed ownership of the rights to Graham's name and choreographic oeuvre, and sued the Martha Graham Dance Company for trademark infringement. After years of legal battles, the Martha Graham Dance Company was ruled the owner of the Graham name and almost all of her repertoire.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dunning|first1=Jennifer|title=Federal Judge Allows Martha Graham Center to Use Her Name and Methods|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/08/arts/dance/08GRAH.html|accessdate=13 March 2015|work=The New York Times|date=8 August 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Dunning|first1=Jennifer|title=Martha Graham Center Wins Rights to the Dances|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/24/arts/martha-graham-center-wins-rights-to-the-dances.html|accessdate=13 March 2015|work=The New York Times|date=24 August 2002}}</ref> During the dispute, Protas was voted out of his position as artistic director of the company.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dunning|first1=Jennifer|title=Martha Graham Board Seeks to Remove Director|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/25/arts/martha-graham-board-seeks-to-remove-director.html|accessdate=13 March 2015|work=The New York Times|date=25 March 2000}}</ref>
In 2005, the center was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation that was given by the New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Roberts|first1=Sam|title=City Groups Get Bloomberg Gift of $20 Million|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/06/nyregion/06donate.html |accessdate=13 March 2015|work=The New York Times|date=6 July 2006}}</ref>
{{anchor|Janet Eilber}} Since 2005, Janet Eilber<ref name="BWW/people/Eilber">{{cite web |title=Janet Eilber (Actor) |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Janet-Eilber/ |website=BroadwayWorld |access-date=10 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="RT/eilber">{{cite web |title=Janet Eilber |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/janet_eilber |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=10 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref><!-- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0251733/ --> has been the artistic director.<ref name="BWW/Interview-Eilber">{{cite web |last1=Kaan |first1=Gil |title=BWW Interview: Janet Eilber On Martha Graham's IMMEDIATE TRAGEDY & The Lightbulb Moment With Bob Fosse |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BWW-Interview-Janet-Eilber-On-Martha-Grahams-IMMEDIATE-TRAGEDY-The-Lightbulb-Moment-With-Bob-Fosse-20200618 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |access-date=10 May 2026 |language=en |date=18 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="calperf/eilber">{{cite web |title=Janet Eilber |url=https://calperformances.org/artists/janet-eilber/ |website=Cal Performances |access-date=10 May 2026}}</ref><ref name="oaanyc/eilber">{{cite web |title=Janet Eilber Archives |url=https://www.outandaboutnycmag.com/tag/janet-eilber/ |website=Out & About NYC Magazine |access-date=10 May 2026 |date=18 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="wm/eilber">{{cite web |title=Dancing Queen Janet Eilber And The Hidden Language Of The Soul |url=https://westchestermagazine.com/publications/dancing-queen-janet-eilber-and-the-hidden-language-of-the-soul/ |website=Westchester magazine |access-date=10 May 2026 |date=February 8, 2016}}</ref>
==See also== * Martha Graham * Graham technique * Modern Dance * Denishawn * Carolyn Adams (dancer) * Lee Lee Lan
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20190105180506/http://www.marthagraham.org/ Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance] * [http://marthagraham.org/company/ Martha Graham Dance Company] * [http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt9p30221k Guide to the Barbara Morgan Photographs of Martha Graham and Company.] Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. * [https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/martha-graham-center-of-contemporary-dance Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance at Google Cultural Institute]
{{Upper East Side}} {{authority control}}
Category:Martha Graham Category:Dance schools in the United States Category:1926 establishments in New York City Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City Category:Education in New York City Category:Dance in New York City Category:Contemporary dance