Celebrated contemporary ensemble the Martha Graham Dance Company will perform at Syracuse University in celebration of Women’s History Month on Tuesday, March 9, as part of the 2009-10 season of the Pulse Performing Arts Series. The company’s performance will take place at 8 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium of the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center.
Tickets for the performance are required and cost $5 for students with SU I.D.; $16 for SU faculty, staff, alumni and Pulse Partners; and $20 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the Schine Student Center Box Office; for more information, call (315) 443-4517. Free parking is available in the Lehman, Harrison, Marion and Waverly lots. Pulse is also offering a special rate for local dance companies wishing to bring groups of 10 or more to the performance. Contact Pulse at pulse@syr.edu for more information.
Founded in 1926 by dancer and choreographer Graham, the Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance ensemble in the nation. Since its inception, the company has received international acclaim and has performed in some of the nation’s most prestigious performing arts venues, in addition to appearing at the Great Pyramids of Egypt and in the ancient Herod Atticus Theatre on the Acropolis in Athens. The company has also produced several award-winning films broadcast on PBS. Though Graham herself is the best-known alumna, the company has provided a training ground for some of modern dance’s most illustrious performers and choreographers.
As part of their visit to the SU campus, the company will hold a private master class for students in the Department of Drama in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. And on March 10, company artistic director Janet Eilber will be the keynote speaker for SU’s annual Women of Distinction Awards; the awards are sponsored by SU’s Office of Student Activities and Office of Residence Life; visit http://studentlife.syr.edu for more information.
“It is truly thrilling to host the Martha Graham Dance Company for this special performance,” says Thomas V. Wolfe, senior vice president and dean of student affairs. “The artistry of this world-renowned company is the perfect match for the spirit of Women’s History Month. The commitment, passion and power of the dancers bring to mind the extraordinarily talented and dedicated women we’ll recognize the following night at the Women of Distinction Awards.”
Pulse, presented by SU’s Division of Student Affairs, provides SU undergraduates and, in turn, the Central New York community with out-of-classroom opportunities to attend and participate in programs, performances, exhibitions and events in the performing and visual arts. It is a model program, recognized for quality, diversity, innovation and collaboration, while it celebrates and expands the cultural climate of Syracuse University.
The Pulse series seeks to raise the caliber of cultural programming while increasing the number of participating students, and programs the best offerings of local arts organizations with performances of internationally renowned visiting artists. For more information, visit http://pulse.syr.edu, e-mail pulse@syr.edu or call 443-2718.
