Press Releases

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2026

Crooked Tree Arts Center Announces Dance Legends: Little Traverse Bay Celebrates Graham100, a Summer-Long Celebration of the Legacy of Martha Graham

PETOSKEY, Mich. — Beginning May 22, Crooked Tree Arts Center – Petoskey invites the community to experience Dance Legends: Little Traverse Bay Celebrates Graham100, a multidisciplinary celebration that will run through the summer honoring the 100th anniversary of the Martha Graham Dance Company, the oldest dance company in the United States.

Graham100 exhibitions and performances will anchor the season, complemented by lectures, workshops, and community programs, inviting audiences to explore how movement shapes personal expression, collective memory, and cultural identity.

“We hope to introduce the Northern Michigan community to the extraordinary influence of Martha Graham in ways that feel personal, creative, and deeply human,” said Jennifer Cantley, CTAC Visual Arts Director. “Through a wide range of accessible programs, we are creating multiple points of entry for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience her legacy, connect with one another, and see how this work still resonates today. At its core, this season reflects our mission to create meaningful ways for people to connect, learn, and grow through the arts, strengthening the cultural fabric of our Northern Michigan community.” 

About Martha Graham

Martha Graham (1894-1991) reshaped modern dance through a bold movement language defined by its angular shapes, emotional intensity, and innovative use of costume and fabric. Over a 70-year career, she created more than 180 works and helped establish modern dance as a major American art form. Her honors include the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, three Guggenheim Fellowships, and recognition as “Dancer of the Century” by Time magazine.

Exhibitions

MODERN MOVEMENT: Martha Graham and Barbara Morgan
On view May 22 - Oct. 31, 2026 | Bonfield Gallery
This exhibition features photographs by acclaimed American photographer Barbara Morgan documenting Martha Graham and her company in the 1930s and 1940s. Morgan’s images helped define the visual language of modern dance through her ability to capture movement and emotion.

IN MOTION: Making Art Dance
On view May 22 - Sept. 5, 2026 | Gilbert Gallery
A juried exhibition of movement-inspired work exploring gesture, rhythm, and transformation across media. Juried by Peter Sparling, the exhibition highlights how visual art can embody motion and emotional energy.

Sparling, a former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company (1973-1987), collaborated directly with Graham and has staged her works internationally throughout his career. He has also been a guest choreographer with the CTAC School of Ballet for five years.

Featured Performances

Dance Legends: Little Traverse Bay Celebrates Graham100

• May 29, 2026 | 7 p.m. | Great Lakes Center for the Arts
• Aug. 22, 2026 | 7 p.m. | John M. Hall Auditorium at Bay View Association

Presented by the CTAC School of Ballet and Peter Sparling, these performances feature Appalachian Spring (1944), Lamentation (1930), and the premiere of Our Own American Document, a community-based work incorporating spoken word, dance, music, and oral histories exploring identity and democracy in Northern Michigan.

The May 29 performance of Appalachian Spring will feature Taylor Naturkas of Miami City Ballet and Sam Epstein of Grand Rapids Ballet. Naturkas will perform the Bride and Epstein the Husbandman. Lamentation will feature Marie Millard with pianist Thomas Nickell. For tickets, visit greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/graham100.

A school lecture-demonstration on May 29 will introduce area students to storytelling through movement, including interactive exploration with fabric.

Workshops and Coffee @ Ten

Seasonal workshops include figure drawing, dance photography, and movement study.

The Coffee @ Ten lecture series runs Thursdays, May 28 - Aug. 27 (excluding Jul. 9), and will feature topics including choreography, embodied expression, and historic dance in film, photographing motion, and more. The full schedule is available at crookedtree.org/CoffeeAtTen.

Community Support

Graham100 is made possible by Women Moving Millions, Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, Charlevoix County Community Foundation, Comfort Keepers, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. All works featured in the Modern Movement exhibition are courtesy of Rochester Institute of Technology Archives.

For full details, visit crookedtree.org/Graham100 or call 231-347-4337.

CTAC School of Ballet pre-professional dancers Leif Van Horn and Callie Carlson perform an early preview of Appalachian Spring at RADFest in March 2026. The full Dance Legends: Little Traverse Bay Celebrates Graham100 performance will be held May 29 at Great Lakes Center for the Arts.

Modern Movement: Martha Graham and Barbara Morgan is on view in CTAC - Petoskey's Bonfield Gallery May 22 - October 31. All works featured in the Modern Movement exhibition are courtesy of Rochester Institute of Technology Archives.