Martha Graham and Greek Myth

09/30/2026

Martha Graham, Greek Myth, and Modern Performance
✨ 100 Years of Graham & the Greeks ✨

To celebrate the Martha Graham Dance Company’s centennial, join us at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens for “Martha Graham, Greek Myth, and Modern Performance: 100 Years of Graham & the Greeks”, an interdisciplinary event bringing together classicists, archaeologists, dance historians, choreographers, and performers to explore Graham’s lifelong dialogue with the ancient Greek world.

The evening will feature talks, a lecture/performance with live dancers, including short restaged excerpts from Graham’s repertory, and a panel discussion on Graham’s engagement with Greek myth and its continuing legacy.

📅 October 22, 2026 | 5:30 p.m. GREECE TIME
📍 Cotsen Hall, American School of Classical Studies at Athens
🎟 Free and open to the public

Co-organized by Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers (College Year in Athens) and Tyler Jo Smith (University of Virginia).
with
▪️Zoa Alonso Fernandez, Assistant Professor of Classical Philology, Universidad Autónoma of Madrid
▪️Tyler Jo Smith, Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology, University of Virginia
▪️Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers, Professor of Classical Studies, College Year in Athens
▪️Penny Diamantopoulou, former Martha Graham Dance Ensemble soloist, Graham Technique and Repertory instructor
▪️Artemis Ignatiou, Choreographer and Artistic Director of the Lighting and Handover Ceremonies of the Olympic Flame for the Olympic Games
▪️Stergiani Tsintziloni, Assistant Professor in Dance, University of Athens
▪️Vaios Liapis, Professor of Classics, Open University of Cyprus - Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου

and with Graham-technique dancers
▪️Stavros Ikbal
▪️Vassia Kolliou
▪️Marianna Papakonstantinou
▪️Mara Tsou
trained by Penny Diamantopoulou, former soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Ensemble

More info: https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/events/details/martha-graham-greek-myth-and-modern-performance-100-years-of-graham-the-greeks

Presented by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the University of Virginia.

09/27/2026

If in NYC next week, don’t miss Prof. Ronnie Ancona’s talk on the collaboration between Martha Graham and Isamu Noguch for her Greek-themed dances!

September 30, 1-2.30pm EST

Classics professor and writer Ronnie Ancona discusses Martha Graham's Greek myth-based dances and her collaborative work with Isamu Noguchi.

09/24/2026

SAVE THE DATE - OCTOBER 22, 2026 - 5.30pm

Martha Graham, Greek Myth, and Modern Performance
✨ 100 Years of Graham & the Greeks ✨

Martha Graham founded her dance company 100 years ago, in 1926 and from her very first performance she presented dances inspired by the culture and rituals of ancient Greece.

Throughout her career, Graham drew on Greek myth, tragedy, and ritual, reimagining figures like Medea, Ariadne, Jocasta, Clytemnestra, Phaedra, Circe, and Helen.

To celebrate the Martha Graham Dance Company’s Martha Graham Dance centennial, join us at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens American School of Classical Studies at Athens for an interdisciplinary event bringing together classicists, archaeologists, dance historians, choreographers, and performers.

The evening will feature a lecture/performance with live dancers, including short restaged excerpts from Graham’s repertory, followed by a panel discussion on Graham’s engagement with Greek myth and its continuing legacy.

📅 October 22, 2026
📍 Cotsen Hall, American School of Classical Studies at Athens/ Livestream link available
🎟 Free and open to the public

Co-organized by Nina Papathanasopoulou (College Year in Athens) and Tyler Jo Smith (University of Virginia)

with
Zoa Alonso Fernandez, Assistant Professor of Classical Philology, Universidad Autónoma of Madrid

Tyler Jo Smith, Professor of Art and Archaeology, University of Virginia

Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers, Professor of Classical Studies, College Year in Athens

Penny Diamantopoulou, former Martha Graham Dance Ensemble soloist, Graham Technique and Repertory instructor

Artemis Ignatiou, Choreographer and Artistic Director of the Lighting and Handover Ceremonies of the Olympic Flame for the Olympic Games

Stergiani Tsintziloni, Assistant Professor of Theater Studies and History of Dance, University of Athens

Vaios Liapis, Professor of Classics, Open University of Cyprus - Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου

and with Graham-technique dancers Konstantinos A.E., Stavros Ikbal, Marianna Papakonstantinou and Mara Tsou

trained by Penny Diamantopoulou

Photo: Martha Graham in Errand into the Maze.© Pictorial Press.

08/13/2026

In her 1963 dance “Circe”, Martha Graham combined movement, costume, and set design to define the enchantress’ identity. Circe’s shimmering gold leotard alludes to her divine ancestry as the daughter of Helios, the Sun god, distinguishing her from the mortal Odysseus.

Together with the costume, Graham’s choreography presents Circe’s power through movement. She envelops Odysseus in a sweeping embrace, drawing him irresistibly toward her. Through her movements, she seduces him while simultaneously asserting her power over him.

📸 1. Tadej Brdnik Tadej Brdnik (Odysseus) and Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch Big Sky Yoga and Wellness (Circe). 2. Tadej Brdnik (Odysseus) and Gary Galbraith (his Helsman). Photos by John Deane.

Martha Graham Dance Company

08/10/2026

Long before Christopher Nolan brought Circe to the screen (2026) and Martha Graham to the stage (1963), ancient Greek artists imagined the famous enchantress on painted pottery.

This Attic black-figure lekythos (ca. 490–480 BCE) depicts the dramatic encounter between Circe and Odysseus. At the center, Circe offers Odysseus a cup containing her enchanted potion while holding the wand with which she transformed Odysseus' companions into pigs. At the left stands one of the transformed companions, reminding the viewer of the danger that confronts Odysseus. Protected by the herb moly, given to him by Hermes, Odysseus resists Circe's magic and ultimately compels her to restore his men to human form. He stays, however, with Circe for a year, enjoying her food, listening to her beautiful singing, and sharing her bed.

This episode became one of the most memorable scenes of the Odyssey, inspiring artists for more than 2,500 years—from ancient vase painters to Martha Graham and Christopher Nolan.

🏺 Attic black-figure lekythos, ca. 490–480 BCE. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

08/07/2026

Why does Martha Graham's engagement with Greek tragedy continue to matter today?

Graham treated Greek myths not as relics of the past but as living stories capable of speaking to every generation. Through modern dance, she reimagined tragic heroines as complex women confronting love, power, jealousy, responsibility, aging, grief, and loss—experiences that remain profoundly human.

Nina Papathanasopoulou’s () new article “Martha Graham’s Radical Reception of the Women of Greek Tragedy” forms part of the broader “Martha Graham & Greek Myth” initiative, which explores Graham's engagement with Greek myth through research, publications, public lectures, performances, and social media outreach.

By placing Graham's choreography in dialogue with ancient tragedy, literature, and visual art, the project seeks not only to deepen our understanding of Graham's creative vision, but also to show how modern performance can enrich our interpretation of the ancient world.

Published open access by , the article is available here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/15/7/87

Photos from the New York Public Library and the Library of Congress.
Cover photo for the Humanities Journal, Volume 15, Issue 7: Clay figurine of a mourner. 6th cent. BCE. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Martha Graham as Alcestis. Photo by Martha Swope; Attic black-figure loutrophoros. 500-490 BCE; Martha Graham as Jocasta. Photo by Philippe Halsman.

08/05/2026

Nina Papathanasopoulou’s (Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers) new article in the Humanities journal argues that Martha Graham performed the women of Greek tragedy throughout her career not only to express archetypal human emotions, but also to confront and make sense of her own experiences. As Graham herself faced personal and artistic challenges, she found in figures such as Electra, Medea, Jocasta, Clytemnestra, Alcestis, Phaedra, and Hecuba enduring companions through whom she could explore the complexities of the human condition.

Graham transformed Greek myths into deeply personal works, demonstrating the continuing power of Greek tragedy to speak across time.

The article is featured as the cover story of Issue 7 of Volume 15 (2026). Check it out here:
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/15/7 (link in bio)

Photos from the New York Public Library The Library for the Performing Arts and the Library of Congress.

Cover photo for the Humanities Journal, Volume 15, Issue 7: Clay figurine of a mourner. 6th cent. BCE. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Martha Graham as Alcestis. Photo by Martha Swope; Attic black-figure loutrophoros. 500-490 BCE; Martha Graham as Jocasta. Photo by Philippe Halsman. Design by iliana alexandrou .

07/31/2026

Created by Nina Papathanasopoulou Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers in collaboration with choreographer Penny Diamantopoulou Penny Diamantopoulou, the Martha Graham & Greek Myth presentations bring together Classical Studies and modern dance to explore Martha Graham’s lifelong engagement with Greek myth through lectures and live performance.

Based in Athens, Greece, the project also travels internationally, collaborating with scholars, dancers, and cultural institutions to present Graham’s Greek-inspired works to new audiences.

For the Graham for Europe Graham For Europe 2026 Summer Intensive in Paris, we were delighted to collaborate with thirteen dancers from the intensive, who joined us in bringing excerpts from Clytemnestra to life and in demonstrating Graham’s groundbreaking portrayal of Greek myth through movement.

Thank you to the Graham for Europe organizers Rafael Molina, Esteban Aranda Rodriguez, the wonderful dancers who shared the stage with us, Moises Maturana for his beautiful percussive accompaniment, and everyone who joined us for this special event.

📍 Martha Graham & Greek Myth: Clytemnestra
📅 July 15, 2026
📍 Auditorium du Conservatoire de Noisy-le-Sec, Paris, France

Dancers: Renata Cardeli Lau Jean-Baptiste Ferreira daphne_ch_ch Salvador Thylmann-Foster Audrey de Texier Andrea Larreta Olivia Pelosi Maria Biosa K E L S E Y - M A E Florencia Calisaya Angelica .giovanellii

📸 Photos by .

07/24/2026

Martha Graham & Greek Myth was delighted to participate in the Graham for Europe Graham For Europe 2026 Summer Intensive in Paris with a presentation centered on Martha Graham’s Clytemnestra.

Throughout the intensive, choreographer Penny Diamantopoulou Penny Diamantopoulou selected and coached 13 dancers who performed excerpts from Graham’s Clytemnestra on the intensive’s final day as part of the Martha Graham & Greek Myth event.

Presented in a lecture-with-dance format, the presentation combines live performance with an engaging talk to explore Graham’s lifelong engagement with Greek myth. The lectures are created and presented by Nina Papathanasopoulou Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers, Professor of Classical Studies at College Year in Athens.

Martha Graham & Greek Myth: Clytemnestra
📍 Auditorium du Conservatoire de Noisy-le-Sec, Paris, France
📅 July 15, 2026

Dancers: Lau, Maria Biosa, Audrey de Texier, Jean-Baptiste Ferreira, Renata Cardeli, chiara michelari, Angelica, daphne_ch_ch, Andrea Larreta, Salvador Thylmann-Foster, Florencia Calisaya, K E L S E Y - M A E, Olivia Pelosi

📸 Photos: 1. Audrey de Texier and Angelica 2. Maria Biosa and chiara michelari 3. Speaker Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers and dancer Jean-Baptiste Ferreira 4. Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers 5. Penny Diamantopoulou coaching Lau and Salvador Thylmann-Foster during the rehearsals

Photos by .

07/22/2026

Our exploration of Martha Graham’s Odyssey-inspired dances continues with her little-known “Myth of a Voyage” (1973), a work that has not been performed since its premiere season.

Ten years after “Circe” and at the age of 79, Graham returned to Homer’s Odyssey to create a dance inspired by Odysseus’ journey and the remarkable women he encounters along the way. The work features Calypso, Circe, Nausicaa, and the Three Blandishing Ones—figures probably inspired by the Odyssey’s Sirens—as well as the Gray-Eyed one (Penelope/Athena?), and a new Graham creation, the Goddess of Change, who accompanies Odysseus throughout his voyage.

Because “Myth of a Voyage” was performed only during its premiere season in 1973 and has never been revived, it remains one of Graham’s least-known myth-based dances. Reviewing the premiere, New York Daily News critic Michael Lachetta interpreted the work as a metaphor for life’s journey:

“Each [of the female characters] seems to represent the temptations and illusions that make man reach for the unreachable, never content with what he has. And each leaves him struggling against forces he seems powerless to resist.”

The original cast was remarkable. Bertram Ross danced the Archer (Odysseus), while Matt Turney—one of the first two African American dancers to join the Martha Graham Dance Company—performed the Gray-Eyed One. Takako Asakawa danced the Goddess of Change, Yuriko Kimura portrayed Calypso, Phyllis Gutelius appeared as Circe, and Mary Hinkson—to whom Graham entrusted the role of Circe ten years earlier—returned as Nausicaa. The Three Blandishing Ones, recalling the Odyssey’s Sirens, were danced by Janet Eilber (now Artistic Director of the Martha Graham Dance Company), Peggy Lyman, and Traci Musgrove.

📸 Photos: 1. Bertram Ross as the Archer (Odysseus), with Takako Asakawa as the Goddess of Change behind him. 2. Mary Hinkson as Nausicaa with Janet Eilber, Peggy Lyman, and Traci Musgrove as the Three Blandishing Ones. Photographs from the Performing Arts Division, Library of Congress, identified during archival research by Nina Papathanasopoulou Myers.