Martha Graham Dance Company 100 Years - by Ken Browar & Deborah Ory (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This is the exclusive 100-year anniversary celebration of The Martha Graham Dance Company, America's oldest company and one of the most popular and esteemed dance companies in the world. This book offers exclusive access to the current company as well as pieces of archival material"--

Book Synopsis

***Winner of the International Photography Award for Best Book of 2025***
A stunning photographic celebration of The Martha Graham Dance Company on its 100th anniversary, from Ken Browar and Deborah Ory, the creative team behind NYC Dance Project.

Founded in 1926 by Martha Graham, The Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest dance company in the United States and remains one of the world's most distinguished and highly acclaimed. Graham's original works drew from a variety of influences, notably Greek mythology, the American frontier, and traditional Native American ceremonies, and were characterized by her trademark technique of "contraction and release." She is also renowned for her ongoing collaboration with several of her contemporary creative visionaries, including sculptor Isamu Noguchi, actor and director John Houseman, composer Aaron Copland, and fashion designers Halston, Donna Karen, and Calvin Klein.

Martha Graham Dance Company 100 Years is a monumental photographic tribute to Graham's profound creative heritage. Featuring a joyous selection of twenty-four of Graham's most memorable works, Browar and Ory capture the beauty and the precision of dancers who make up today's company and who carry the mantle of Graham's legacy. Each featured dance is prefaced by a piece of archival imagery as well as a description of the dance and notes on costume design, set design, and accompanying music. An in-depth feature on Noguchi's set design as well as an introduction by Martha Graham Dance Company artistic director Janet Eilber round out the program.

Review Quotes

"This is a knock-your-socks off book. There's outside shots, there's inside shots, there's color, there's black and white.... It is the kind of book where you can linger and just say, this is a gorgeous picture or you can get involved with the narrative, with the whole history of the Martha Graham dance legacy."--FRAMES Photography Podcast

"Their latest book, Martha Graham Dance Company: 100 Years, is not simply a centennial celebration. It's a love letter to legacy. A visual memoir that honors one of modern dance's most revolutionary forces, not by looking back, but by moving forward. Through 24 of Graham's most iconic works, reinterpreted through today's dancers, the book becomes a living conversation. Past and present blur into something that feels both immediate and eternal."--Ebby magazine

"With photo essays on 24 beloved Graham classics, this mix of archival images, new photographs, and deft writing is gorgeous, rigorous, based in the kinetic, and in touch with the totemic moments of Graham theater. "The body says what words cannot," explained Graham. So do the visions in this magnificent book."--Airmail

"A sumptuously presented volume of gloriously photographed choreographic moments by one of the fundamental figures of dance history."--Gramilano.com

"Breathtaking new images of the dancers who are now leading the choreographer's legacy forward are juxtaposed with
archive images, presenting a dialogue between past and present... Leafing through the pages, we could sense the depth of history in it, the bridge with the present, and how bodies have been forged through [Graham's] technique, while glimpsing undisputed masterpieces and little-known works"--Danza International

"Impressive project, very high-quality images and editorial choices. It's rare to see such a clean, coherent and harmonious book, you'd never be tired to browse..."--Emanuele Cucuzza, Juror, International Photography Awards

"Ory and Browar's photographs are a testament to their deep reverence for Graham, capturing the precision, clarity, and expressiveness of the human body when engaged in dance." --MyModernMet

About the Author

Ken Browar is a renowned fashion and editorial photographer. His passion for dance began when he lived in Paris and photographed dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet. Deborah Ory began her photography career while injured as a dancer, photographing rehearsals. She has worked as a photo editor atCondé Nast and Mirabella, and as an editorial photographer. Together, Browar and Ory are the creative team behind NYC Dance Project. Their work has been featured in newspapers and magazines worldwide including Harper's Bazaar, Dior Magazine, New York Times, and many others. Their photographs have been exhibited at many galleries and museums worldwide and they have won two International Photography Awards for their books. They are the authors of two bestselling previous books, The Art of Movement and The Style of Movement: Fashion and Dance.