The Dance Diamond -Dance History Wall, Middletown,NY

The Dance Diamond

445 Rt. 17M
Middletown, NY 10940
845-342-6686

Dance History Wall


Martha Graham

Martha Graham was born in 1894 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Martha Graham was inspired to dance by a St. Denis performance. After seeing this performance she went to an arts oriented junior college, then to Denishawn School. From there she opened the Martha Graham School for Contemporary Dance in New York. She believed that through spastic movements, remblings and falls she could express through emotional and spiritual in 1935. Another major piece was “American Doc” performed in 1938. Martha Graham was known as an influential American dancer, teacher and choreographer. She performed at the White House for Franklin Roosevelt, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honor. She was the first choreographer to regularly employ both Asian- and African-American Dancers. By D.E.

Agnes De Mille

Agnes De Mille was born in 1905 in Harlem, NY and later moved with her family to California to support her father William Churchhill De Mille who became a famous playwright. At a young age Agnes attended a small private Hollywood School for Girls. Later she attended UCLA and graduated with honors. After her parents divorced, de Mille returned to NY with her mother. Agnes dreamed of pursuing a career in dance and theatre but was unable to find employment. She began choreographing dances for herself as well as making costumes. She’d put on dance recitals but financially could not keep up this life style. Agnes and her mother determined to succeed traveled to London. However, they ran into the same situation and there was no financial gain to be found. During this time Agnes met two important people who convinced her to later on return to London to study and continue her recitals. For the following five years, she continued her work and studies in London strengthening her technique and improving her repertory. Later on in November of 1938 Miss de Mille returned to the United States to continue her performing career. She toured the country with Joseph Anthony and Sybil Shearer one of the most creative dancers in the county. In 1940 Miss de Mille became a charter member of the Ballet Theatre now known as the American Ballet Theatre. Her first choreographed was the Black Ritual. Breaking tradition, de Mille had created the first ballet to ever use African American dancers. This was only the first of De Milles work. She went on to choreograph some of the biggest and most memorable ballets and Broadway hits in the 1940s and 1950s. Such as One Touch of Venus, Carousel, Brigadoon, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Paint Your Wagon. Agnes de Mille suffered from serious health complications that nearly ended her life in 1975. After her recovery she began to write books, one particularly on her extraordinary life called the Reprieve. Some of her other books include Where the Wings Grow, America Dances, and Dance to the Piper to name a few. Agnes de Mille received such prestigious awards such as New York City’s Handel Medallion, the nationally prestigious Kennedy Center Honor, seventeen honorary degrees from colleges and universities coast to cost. Agnes De Mille Moved the world with her love for the Arts and that hasn’t changed since her death in 1993. B.R.