New Doc About Dance Legend Martha Graham

Summary

Podcast Summary: "New Doc About Dance Legend Martha Graham"

All Of It with Alison Stewart | WNYC
Aired: March 26, 2026
Episode Theme:
A deep dive into the legacy and ongoing work of the Martha Graham Dance Company, celebrating its centennial, in tandem with the release of the new PBS documentary "We Are Our Time." Directors Peter Schnall and Cindy Radeen join Alison Stewart to discuss their immersive process documenting the company, Graham’s relentless innovation, the lived lives of dancers, and audience memories of Martha Graham’s impact.

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1. Main Theme and Purpose

The episode centers on honoring the Martha Graham Dance Company’s 100th anniversary and exploring its enduring influence on modern dance. It coincides with the premiere of the new two-part documentary, "We Are Our Time," which provides rare behind-the-scenes access to the company’s contemporary dancers, archival footage of Martha Graham, and reflections from her collaborators. The discussion connects Graham’s historic breakthroughs to their living legacy, inviting listeners to reflect on how her technique and philosophy have affected them personally and artistically.

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2. Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Documentary: "We Are Our Time"

• Director’s Approach:
  • Peter Schnall and Cindy Radeen aimed to go beyond performance, capturing what it means to be a dancer today by following the company for over two years across America, Europe, and China.
  • [03:07] Peter Schnall: "We had unbelievable access over the course of over two years where we followed the company all across America, Europe and China."
• Grounding the Story in the Present:
  • Chose not to feature historians; current and former dancers are treated as the living memory and voices of the company.
  • [03:59] Cindy Radeen: "Our idea was that Martha Graham's work lives within her dancers themselves... they are the historians of Graham's work."
• Meryl Streep as Graham’s Voice:
  • Meryl Streep contributes by reading Graham’s writings, deepening the viewer’s connection to Graham’s philosophical and artistic musings.
  • [05:14] Peter Schnall: "Cindy and I had decided there would be no narration... so we decided to have an actress read from Martha's writings."

Martha Graham’s Innovations and Technique

• Contraction and Release:
  • The signature "Graham technique" is described as a powerful method that emphasizes contraction and release, prioritizing the dancer’s internal experience and power.
  • [07:04] Peter Schnall: "Contraction and release, meaning it's all within... not only to bring their own sense of how a dance should be performed, but also to understand the power of the human body."
• Barefoot Dancing:
  • Graham’s eschewal of ballet shoes aimed to make movement and expression more raw and visceral, which has inspired generations of choreographers.
  • [08:09] Peter Schnall: "She wanted to sort of let the body feel not only the dance floor, but present itself in its most sort of bare way."

The Dancer’s Life—Dedication and Physical Toll

• Daily Discipline:
  • Dancers balance long rehearsals with additional dance, gym, and Pilates training.
  • [15:41] Cindy Radeen: "I didn't realize the amount of work that they have to do in their lives... they might do a Graham work in the morning and then work with a new choreographer in the afternoon."
• Missed Security and Freelance Nature:
  • Dancers are generally freelancers, piecing together work with various companies and teaching gigs to make ends meet.
  • [23:41] Peter Schnall: "These great young artists are basically freelancers... and in the off season they have to find other work, but the company has endured for 100 years."
• Physical and Emotional Demands:
  • Frequent injuries, the fear of being replaced, and the unwavering commitment to the art form are recurring challenges.
  • [16:34] Peter Schnall: "The beauty and power of what it takes to be these incredible artists... Nothing more than a simple ankle injury... can take you out immediately."

Graham’s Attitude Toward Sensuality and Artistic Rebellion

• Embracing Sexuality in Art:
  • Graham welcomed the sensual and 'erotic' aspects of her choreography, seeing no shame in such expressions.
  • [12:34] Cindy Radeen: "She embraced sexuality and... felt that hidden things... shouldn't be something to be ashamed of."

Enduring Impact and Public Memories

• Listener Call-Ins:
  • New Yorkers and others recall vivid personal encounters with Graham, her company, or her technique, testifying to her profound reach across decades and disciplines—from actors to dancers to audience members.
  • [09:46-14:19]
• Global Influence:
  • Listeners from as far as Buenos Aires recount Graham’s influence on the global dance community.
• Collaborators and Icons:
  • The film features important voices like Mikhail Baryshnikov, underlining Graham’s continuing inspiration for top dancers.
  • [20:18] Peter Schnall: "He spoke so openly and kindly about his first meeting with Martha Graham and what it meant to him as a young dancer here in New York."

Financial Realities and the Challenge of Nonprofit Sustainability

• Perpetual Fundraising:
  • Past and present, the company has struggled to find stable funding, relying on arts foundations, philanthropy, and constant public support.
  • [25:01] Cindy Radeen: "They're constantly fundraising... I think it's just the reality... nonprofits struggle."

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Artistic Courage:
  • "[Martha Graham] didn't care what others thought... I don't care what they think. I'm just going to do what I'm going to do." — Cindy Radeen [06:26]
• On Technique’s Empowerment:
  • "What the dancers always spoke about is how powerful they feel... Many have backgrounds in ballet... but the moment they danced Graham, it felt powerful for them." — Cindy Radeen [07:38]
• On Movement and Truth:
  • "Her father... said movement never lies and I will never forget that." — Listener Gwen [19:11]
• On Martha’s Presence:
  • "She was tiny, but she was so regal, and so she had such a presence... like the Queen of England." — Listener Linda [25:41]
• On Dance as Artistry and Labor:
  • "It's tough to pay your rent. It's tough to be an artist today in this country." — Peter Schnall [24:47]

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4. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:08] Episode introduction and show rundown
• [03:07] Documentary inspiration and unique filming process
• [03:59] Decision to focus on dancers as historians of Graham’s legacy
• [05:14] Involving Meryl Streep as Graham’s voice
• [07:04] The Graham technique explained
• [08:09] Graham’s revolutionary barefoot dancing
• [12:34] Sexuality and the 'erotic' in Graham’s choreography
• [15:41] The grueling, athletic life of a company dancer
• [16:34] The physical/emotional toll of dance
• [19:11] Listener testimony—personal connection to Graham and her philosophy
• [20:18] Baryshnikov’s reflections in the documentary
• [23:41] Economic realities for dancers
• [25:01] Nonprofit challenges and fundraising
• [29:07] Directors share how the project changed their perspective on dance

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5. Final Reflections from the Directors

• Peter Schnall [28:20]: Touched by his first foray into dance filmmaking, gained a new appreciation for the beauty, effort, and power of live dance.
• Cindy Radeen [29:07]: Inspired by dancers’ commitment to creativity and modern dance’s ongoing evolution, now sees more modern dance performances personally.

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6. Overall Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is celebratory yet honest, blending reverence for Martha Graham’s legacy with a clear-eyed look at the discipline’s demands and the realities of modern artistic life. Listener stories enhance the communal sense of Graham’s widespread impact, inviting all to feel a part of the company's centennial moment. Both directors espouse gratitude for witnessing the dancers’ dedication and for helping preserve and spotlight Graham’s vital place in American and world culture.

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The Martha Graham Dance Company Centennial Performances:
April 8–12 at New York City Center, NYC
Documentary "We Are Our Time":
Part 1 airs March 27, 9pm on PBS | Part 2 airs April 3

Transcript

[Cindy Radeen]

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[Peter Schnall]

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[Alison Stewart]

If you don't remember how awesome childhood is, just ask yourself, what would kids do? Dance to a giant organ played by ocean waves? Yep. Camp in floating tree houses hundreds of

[Cindy Radeen]

feet off the ground?

[Alison Stewart]

Check. Jump in a big tub of mud on purpose. Call it rejuvenation.

[Cindy Radeen]

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[Alison Stewart]

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[Caller or Advertiser]

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart, live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. I'm really grateful that you're here on today's show. Two of the stars of Paradise, Julianne Nicholson and Thomas Dougherty, will be here. We'll also speak with three local finalists for NPR's Student Podcast Challenge, and we'll play some of their work and we'll learn what it's like to be a subway musician. We'll speak with the trumpet player who plays at Grand Central, and he'll also perform live in studio. That's the plan. So let's get this started with the new documentary, We Are Our Time. The oldest dance company in the United States is right here in New York. This year, the Martha Graham Dance Company is celebrating its 100th birthday. First founded in 1926, Martha Graham innovated what we now consider to be modern American dance. Although she preferred the word contemporary, she had different ideas of movement, what is now celebrated as the Martha Graham technique. Eschewing ballet shoes for bare feet, a new documentary goes behind the scenes at Martha Graham to capture dancers and choreographers as they rehearse, perform and tour. We also see archival performances of Martha Graham herself and hear from her collaborators about what made Graham's ideas special. The film is called We Are Our Time. The first part airs tomorrow night on PBS. Part two airs on April 3rd. My guests now are directors Peter Schnall. Hi, Peter. And Cindy Radine. Hi, Cindy.

[Cindy Radeen]

Hi.

[Alison Stewart]

And if you're interested, the Martha Graham Dance Company is performing at New York City Center April 8th through the 12th as part of the centennial celebration that's April 8th through the 12th. Peter, what interested you about the Martha Graham Company?

[Peter Schnall]

Well, as a New Yorker, we've all heard about the Martha Graham Dance Company, and our executive producer, David Kenner, knew the company had been talking to them about their upcoming hundredth anniversary, and they wanted to do something special. So the. The idea of doing a documentary popped up right away. And Cindy and I had this idea of not just capturing their performances and what's about to happen in the 100th anniversary celebration, but to go behind the scenes to really get a sense of what it's like to be a dancer today in America. And we had unbelievable access over the course of over two years where we followed the company both all across America, Europe and China.

[Alison Stewart]

Why did you want to film with the contemporary company and before, as well as the archival footage you used? Cindy?

[Cindy Radeen]

Really early on, Peter and I made the decision to ground the story in the current company. You know, I think our idea was that Martha Graham's work lives within her dancers themselves and within the dancers themselves. Early on, we made the decision that we weren't going to interview historians because the dancers themselves are the historians of Graham's work. They've read her work, they've read her biographies, they know her in and out. They can quote her so you know, she's alive and living in the studio in the West Village with them.

[Alison Stewart]

Listeners, we'd like to hear from you. Have you ever seen a show by the Martha Graham Dance Company over the years? What was it like? Give us a call and text us now at 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. Or maybe you're out there and you danced with Martha Graham or you've taken a class there. Let us know your story. 212-433-969-2212, wnyc. Peter, you include archives of Martha dancing in the film, but you also bring her life to words in the words of Meryl Streep, reading Martha Graham. How did you get Meryl Streep involved with this project?

[Peter Schnall]

You just asked very nicely. Again, we had a connection to her through our executive producer, and in some ways it was actually a personal request. Ms. Streep had actually read from Martha Graham's autobiography quite a few years back with Yo Yo Ma playing the cello behind her. So clearly she had some sense of this incredible genius, this revolutionary modern dance creator. And again, Cindy and I had decided that there would be no narration in these two episodes, that we wanted the dancers and we wanted former Graham dancers to tell us about their life and their world and about Martha Graham. So what we decided to do was to have an actress read from Martha's writings, from her essays, from her autobiography. She was volumes and volumes of absolutely incredible writings that she had done over her 90 years. Very philosophical, very heady, very thoughtful about life, love and the pursuit of dance. So that's what we did.

[Alison Stewart]

Cindy, what did you learn from reading Martha Graham's words?

[Cindy Radeen]

I learned that she was very focused on becoming the artist that she became and from a very young age. And I really. I love that, that she was singular in her pursuit and that she didn't care what others thought it was, you know, I don't care what they think. I'm just going to do what I'm going to do. And that's what happened. She did what she was going to do and then people came along and saw what a brilliant artist that she is.

[Alison Stewart]

You hear this reference quite a bit in the film the Graham Technique. What are the important elements of the Graham Technique, Peter?

[Peter Schnall]

Contraction and release, Meaning it's all within. Well, for a dancer, of course, it's all within the body, it's all within understanding. But for Martha, I believe that what she wanted to have her dancers do was not only to bring their own sense of how a dance should be performed, but also to understand the power of the human body and what it means to take it from within and then present it to the audience.

[Alison Stewart]

What do you take from the Graham technique?

[Cindy Radeen]

What the dancers always spoke about is how powerful they feel, especially the female dancers, how powerful they feel dancing Martha's work. Many of the dancers have backgrounds in ballet, you know, that they've danced since they were six years old, but they talk about the moment that they danced Graham, that for some reason it felt right to them and it felt powerful for them.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, it was interesting that she danced barefoot. How was that first received when she started dancing?

[Peter Schnall]

My understanding is that Martha Gray wanted to sort of challenge the whole notion of dancing in a, you know, pointed shoes, dancing in, you know, ballet, sort of to throw those off and again, sort of let the body feel not only the dance floor, but present itself in its most sort of bare way, to put it bluntly. And I think that that's what is so extraordinary about her dances today. And a lot of the young modern dance choreographers who now create dances for Martha Graham understand that and see that. And you can see that in the shows that, in the dances that we covered from the new choreographers for them, it's like they love it that Martha's dances are barefoot and out there sort of being very, very sort of real with what's happening.

[Alison Stewart]

Very grounded.

[Peter Schnall]

Very grounded. Exactly.

[Alison Stewart]

We're reflecting on the hundredth birthday of the Martha Graham Dance Company, the oldest dance company in the US A new two part documentary, We Are Our Time goes behind the scenes with the company. Part 1 airs on PBS tomorrow at 9. Part 2 on April 3rd. My guests are director Peter Schnall and Cindy Radeen. We're also hearing from you. Have you seen Martha Graham's show before? What was it like? Maybe you've danced with Martha. The Graham Company. Our number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. Let's talk to Carrie, who's calling in from Crotono and Hudson. Hi, Kerry, thank you for making the time to call all of it.

[Caller]

Yes, thank you for taking my call. I, I, when I first came to New York in the early 70s, I was at a theater, theater company. I guess it was a Joyce or might have been Lincoln center, but there was that matre day and dancers were they did a show and then at the end she came out. And I'll just never forget the vision of her. She had this gown in which she held it up and bowed and it was just fantastic. She had this regal and tall and gorgeous and it was just fantastic. I'll never forget it.

[Alison Stewart]

Thanks for calling, Kathy. Let's talk to Bill, who's calling from Larchmont, New York. Hi, Bill. Thank you so much for taking the time to call, all of it.

[Caller or Advertiser]

Oh, thank you. I just thought my experience was a little, I think, worthy of a documentary, really. But I was a Smith College graduate in 1969. Martha Graham spoke at my graduation. What happened was I had an MFA in acting from 67 to 69, and I studied the Graham technique as part of my course of study. I studied with a dancer by the name of Deborah Zahl. I believe she was a student or protege maybe of Martha's way back when. So I celebrated my 80th birthday recently and I heard you guys talking to Martha Graham and it took me way back to 67 to 69. And I mean, it was quite honored for her to speak at my graduation in 1969. The Graham Technique, of course, was amazing. What it did to my physical life and how it changed me. I studied ballet there as well, but I studied ballet with Agnes DeMille. And like I said, Deborah Zoll was her protege. And I found those Classes to be so like amazing every morning. It was like a very early Martha Graham technique study about probably about 8:30 in the morning every day.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you so much for calling, Bill.

[Peter Schnall]

Many actors, it's interesting what the gentleman just said, use the Martha Graham technique in terms of breathing and understanding the, the power of their own body in some very famous actors. And I believe Meryl Streep also, when she was studying, found the Martha Graham technique to help her really get, you know, bring out the power and beauty of what's inside us.

[Alison Stewart]

Cindy, it's interesting, it's mentioned in the documentary that sometimes her choreography or the way her dancers presented themselves was, quote, erotic. First of all, what did Martha Graham have to say about that?

[Cindy Radeen]

She says that, you know, she embraced sexuality and sex and that felt that hidden things. Things. Oh, how did you say it? Hidden. Peter, help me out.

[Peter Schnall]

Hidden things are that one should never be that eroticism is. It should never be felt, you know, to be something to be ashamed of.

[Alison Stewart]

Shameful.

[Cindy Radeen]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Jessica who is calling in from Montclair. Hi Jessica, thank you for making the time to call. All of it.

[Caller]

Thank you. So in 1975, I was a senior at the High School of Performing Arts in New York City and Martha Graham spoke at the National Honor Society convict ceremony. And it's funny, one of the other callers just talked about how tall and regal she was. I remember her as being so tiny, but very commanding, like such a huge presence for a tiny person. And I also have such a memory of shaking her hand and her hands, she had arthritis, I think, and her hands were kind of in that contracting, you know, when she would teach her contractions, then you would sort of cup your hands and they seem to be like that now in perpetuity. So I'll take that off the air. But it was very inspiring.

[Alison Stewart]

That was so interesting that one caller described her as being very tall and this caller described her as being a tiny little person. How tall was she, do we know?

[Peter Schnall]

Not very.

[Alison Stewart]

But she had a tall presence.

[Peter Schnall]

Very much so. Very much so.

[Alison Stewart]

We're talking about the documentary We Are Our Time in celebration of the 100th birthday of the Martha Graham Dance Company. We'll have more after a quick break. This is all of it. You are listening to all of it on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart reflecting on the 100th birthday of the Martha Graham Dance Company, the oldest dance company in the US A new two part documentary called We Are Our Time goes behind the scenes with the company. Part 1 airs on PBS tomorrow at 9. Part 2 on April 3rd. My guests are directors Peter Schnall and Cindy Radin. We also want to hear from you. Have you ever been to a Martha Graham concert? What was it like? Maybe if you've danced with Martha Graham or you've taken a class there, we want to know your story. 2124-3396-9221-2433, wnyc Cindy we see a lot of scenes of rehearsals. The dancers, the choreographers. At times they're having fun, at times they're laughing. But they're really going through an intense practice. What was most interesting to you as a filmmaker, watching those dancers work?

[Cindy Radeen]

I think I didn't, I personally didn't realize the amount of work that they have to do in their lives. You know, we captured definitely them in rehearsal, which is a long day for them. And they will train in a number of different dances. So they might do a Graham work in the morning and then work on a work with a new choreographer in the afternoon. But even before they get to work, they usually take dance class. They go to the gym, they do Pilates. I gained a lot of respect for the work that they do.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, they're kind of serious athletes, Peter. And they all, they experience pain, they experience injury. How the dancers talk to you about the physical toll.

[Peter Schnall]

So interesting because one of the dancers who's been with the company for over 20 years, Lloyd Knight, did a one person piece where he kind of helped the audience understand what it's like to be the life of a dancer. You get up, you have your breakfast, you rehearse, you go to the studio and perform. And the next day you get up and rehearse and go to the studio to perform. And it's over and over and over again. And the beauty and power of what it takes to be these incredible artists. It is quite astounding on so many levels. And it's trying. And nothing more than a simple ankle injury or a back injury or a shoulder injury can take you out immediately. And like most artists, there is that concern that will I be able to return to the dance floor? Will somebody else take over for me? And that is one of their concerns and they speak about it very much in the program.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Michael, who's from Brooklyn. Hi, Michael. Thanks for calling, all of it. You're on the air.

[Caller or Advertiser]

Yes. Hi there.

[Alison Stewart]

Hi.

[Caller or Advertiser]

Hello.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, you're on the air.

[Caller or Advertiser]

Yeah, hi. I love this show. And I was right with you, Alison, through your tough times.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you.

[Caller or Advertiser]

I'm here just to talk to you about a crazy thing that happened to me in early 70s. I was this young student actor and I was at the University of Pittsburgh and Martha Graham was apparently touring around. I'm not sure why, but we, we had this movement class and we were. I was told, oh, you're going to have a famous person teaching you today. And I said, who's that? Martha Graham? I said, who's that? And they told me that she's a famous choreographer. You're very lucky. And I, well, I said I'm not a dancer. She said she's going to help you move. So that's what happened. She came to the, she took her out. We barefoot, we were barefoot, as you said. And she seemed very tiny, by the way, not big, I'm a short guy. So, you know, we kind of related and she taught us how to move. And it was really a wonderful moment in my, in my acting career. I left Pittsburgh and came to New York and went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and became an off Broadway actor. But at that time I was. It was really exciting to have this famous person drop in on us.

[Alison Stewart]

Sounds like it was quite an experience. This says I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina and I learned the Martha Graham technique in Buenos Aires as a kid from Freddie Romero, who is one of the dancers of Martha Graham. She's very popular and loved in Buenos Aires. Let's talk to. I think it's Gwen. Hi Gwen, thanks for calling, all of it.

[Caller]

Yeah, hi. Thank you so much. I trained there in the late 80s up until for six years when Martha was alive. It was quite extraordinary. We were in the old school that was given to her. It was a wonderful space. Martha used to come in and watch classes often when she heard there was a good dancer in the taking class and she was short. And I also had the lovely opportunity in 1984 to see the State Theater Baryshnikov, Nureyev and Teresa Cappucci do Rite of Spring. It was powerful, it was amazing and I will never forget it. And Martha was alive at the time. It was quite an extraordinary experience. Martha always said you want the audience to feel. And she also was quoted of saying her father was a psychiatrist or psychologist and he said movement never lies and I will never forget that. It was a wonderful time in my life.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you so much for calling in. You have Baryshnikov in the film.

[Peter Schnall]

Yes, we do. Which was a real get for us on so many levels. He took time off from his work and we went up to his studio in Manhattan and he spoke so openly and kindly about his first meeting with Martha Graham and what it meant to him as a young dancer here in New York. And then the power of who she, what she represented to the dance world and what it meant to him especially.

[Alison Stewart]

It's so interesting, Cindy, as you're hearing people call in all these different experiences, are you surprised there are that many people who have been touched by Martha Graham?

[Cindy Radeen]

I'm not surprised. Especially, you know, we were touring with the company in Europe and in China. You know, after the performance, the dancers sometimes would be in the lobby and people would flock to them and wanted to speak to them. And often it was, you know, oh, we took a class or we saw Martha Graham. You know, a lot of people have very personal memories of either experiencing going to class and having it affect their body and their lives through that, or having seen the company dance themselves.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Gretchen from Bronxville. Hi, Gretchen, thank you so much for calling all of it.

[Caller]

Hi there. I'm happy to be on. Yes, I'm calling because as a young woman, I'd gotten a job working at Sotheby's and I was young and the studio, that fantastic house in the 60s, was still there. And so I would go every evening after work and take a class. And I danced all my life, but I was not professional. And it was so extraordinary to be in this building surrounded by incredible props in the corner built by the likes of Isamu Noguchi and various other modernist sculptors, just kind of stuck in the corner as part of this incredible artistic collaboration that she kind of was. That she was kind of queen of. And as a non professional, having her come in and sit and watch our class gave such a sense of importance and value to her creativity. And I remember seeing her hands, this has been mentioned a lot. And I remember noticing that her knuckles seemed to me to be the size of golf balls. And feeling so sorry for her and also thinking to myself, wow, should I continue this technique? Is this gonna, you know. But. And the other last thing I will say is there was always a young man, a young musician playing bongos. And that's what we danced to in those classes. And I loved it.

[Alison Stewart]

Gretchen, thank you so much for calling in. My guests are directors Peter Schnall and Cindy Radeen. Were talking about their new documentary, We Are Our Time. It's about the Martha Graham Dance Company. You get into some of the thornier issues around being in a dance company. It's not full time work for the dancers who are part of your company, and it's unpaid when they're not working. And you have a dancer who has a really hard time committing. We don't want to get into it too much, but to what extent are dancers able to make a decent living?

[Peter Schnall]

That's something that was very interesting for us to learn in our journey with the company, that these great young artists are basically freelancers in a sense. They are not working full time. And in the off season with the Graham Company, they have to do go out and find other work, mostly with other dance companies, or they actually create their own dances. But I think that speaks to so much of sort of the arts and culture, you know, in America, where it can be a struggle for so many and it's such a commitment for so many. And yet there are. If you think about the fact that this company has endured for 100 years, that in itself is quite extraordinary and speaks so powerfully to. To Martha Graham and to the people that have created the work with her and for her. And I think that, again, the dancers today understand that and are committed to that. And, yeah, it's tough. It's tough to pay your rent. It's tough to be an artist today in this country.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. The artistic director says in the documentary how difficult it is for a nonprofit to. In the world today. How difficult is it for the Martha Graham Company, a company that's been around 100 years?

[Cindy Radeen]

I think they're constantly fundraising. We make the connection in the film. One of the quotes that we use from Graham. She also had struggles funding her company when she was running it. You know, I think it's just the reality, as Peter said, in our country today, nonprofits struggle and, you know, rely on foundation funding, philanthropy. But the Graham Company's still going, so they've gotten something right.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Linda. Hi, Linda. Thank you so much for calling, all of it.

[Caller]

Thanks for taking my call. In the early 80s, I moved to New York City, and my residence was. Was at 63rd street in York, which was across the street from where Martha Graham lived, and also just a few blocks from her studio and walking up 63rd Street. I would often see her coming out of her building and getting into her town car or whatever car that would take her wherever she was going. And she was tiny, but she was so regal, and so she had such a presence. And if you said hello to her, I would say, good morning, Ms. Graham. And she would look up and she would have this very slight and just sort of nod, like the Queen of England. Would. She was just such a presence, and I never got to take a class with her, but I did have a young cousin come visit from Victoria, British Columbia, who did take a class, and Ms. Graham was sitting in the room, and my cousin was just so excited. She couldn't believe that she got to be in the same space. So she was really what New York embodied for me at that time, the culture. And everybody says the early 80s in New York were so horrible with Bernie Goetz, but I loved New York, and I reluctantly live here. I moved kicking and screaming to Oregon.

[Alison Stewart]

You're calling us from. We love it. You listen to wnyc, by the way.

[Cindy Radeen]

Thank you so much for calling.

[Alison Stewart]

And let's get Michael one more call in. Hi, Michael, you're our last caller.

[Caller or Advertiser]

So excited to be on. Can you hear me?

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, you're on the air.

[Caller or Advertiser]

Okay, great. Yeah, I saw Martha Graham Co. As a high school student back in the 70s, and it was really inspiring. I was ended up taking modern dance classes in high school, not being much of a dancer, but, you know, developed an incredible affinity for dance. Flash forward to today. I'm married to a modern dancer, Ivy Baldwin, who is appearing at Skirball center in a couple of weekends. And, you know, I'm witness to the incredible work, the incredible difficulty of fundraising, the, you know, just constant punishing of one's body and, and the wonderful people who are part of the modern dance world. And Martha Graham is just such a icon to all those people. My wife was, you know, she took Martha Graham all through college, and it's, it's, you know, I'm really looking forward to this documentary.

[Alison Stewart]

It's pretty good, I have to tell you. Thank you so much for calling in. As we start to finish, for each of you, how has your understanding or appreciation of dance changed since you've made the documentary?

[Peter Schnall]

Well, I love saying this was my first dance. So of all the documentaries I've been honored to have been working on and produced, this really was the first time I had a chance, both as a director and a cinematographer, to capture the extraordinary and the beauty and the power of dance, both through the lens and understanding what it meant to be a dancer today in this country. And I think that what Cindy and I and what PBS allowed us to do is to really journey into a world that few know so much about behind the scenes. The effort, the energy, and just what it means to take this and bring it, bring it to audiences has never seen before.

[Cindy Radeen]

Cindy, for me, I feel like, you know, I just, for me, just spending all the time with these amazing dancers and getting to understand their lives and how they're so committed to the creativity and to Graham and to modern dance and continuing her legacy and pushing, continuing to push dance forward and having it evolve and being part of it. I love their passion and I definitely see more modern dance now having worked on this documentary than I did in the past.

[Alison Stewart]

My guests have been directors, co directors Peter Schnall and Cindy Radeen were talking about their documentary We Are Our Time. It goes behind the scenes. The Martha Graham Dance Company Part 1 airs tomorrow night at 9 on PBS. Part 2 airs on April 3rd. And you can catch the Martha Graham Dance Company performing at New york City Center April 8th through the 12th as part of its centennial celebration. Thanks for joining us and thanks for taking listeners calls.

[Peter Schnall]

Oh, thanks.

[Cindy Radeen]

Thank you.

[Caller or Advertiser]

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[Cindy Radeen]

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[Alison Stewart]

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[Alison Stewart]

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