On this day in 1944, Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring premiered in Washington, D.C. The uniquely American and modern ballet, featuring Aaron Copland’s musical genius, Isamu Noguchi’s spatial acuity, and Edythe Gilfond’s imaginative costumes, changed the fabric of American culture by articulating the pioneer story through the Graham Technique, and uniting the public through its populist themes. To celebrate, we’re sharing a full-length performance from 1958 starring Martha, Stuart Hodes, Bertra

Then and Now: the Martha Graham Dance Company performing APPALACHIAN SPRING decades and oceans apart. The top performance is from this past summer at the National Center of Performing Arts in Beijing, China, and the bottom is from the 1957 film A DANCER’S WORLD, featuring Martha Graham herself, shot at Connecticut College. Plenty more have filled the 66-year span, as is customary with a repertory as longstanding as the Graham Company’s, and plenty more will come after. ✨ We invite you to see the