GRAHAM100: The Centennial Celebration
“People should come expecting to see some of the most expressive and powerful dancers in the world today.”
—Janet Eilber, Martha Graham Dance Company, artistic director
The legendary Martha Graham Dance Company returns to Carolina Performing Arts for their 12th appearance with GRAHAM100: The Centennial Celebration. This program is the culmination of the company’s three-season celebration of their 100th anniversary. Aligned with the national America250 celebration, this program is curated around the timely and timeless question: What is an American?
The program features one of her most iconic and emotionally charged creations—Appalachian Spring—presented alongside bold new works by Hope Boykin and Baye & Asa.
Expect an evening of artistic fire, historical resonance, and unforgettable movement—this is a celebration a century in the making!
Event Details
- Runtime: approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, including intermission
- Intermission: 15 minutes
- Additional information: visit our FAQ page
- Late seating policy: TBA
Program
| Martha Graham | Appalachian Spring (1944) |
| Hope Boykin | New work from “A Simple Song” from Leonard Bernstein’s Mass |
| Intermission | |
| Baye & Asa | Cortege (2025) |
Ticket & Discount Information
Tickets available starting at $39. Student tickets always $11. Eligible for CLE Credit.
Discount Information
We offer several discounts for CPA series performances only. Partner and rental events are not eligible.
Important Notes:
- Discounts must be applied at the time of purchase and cannot be added retroactively.
- Only one discount can be used per order.
- We reserve the right to cancel tickets that do not follow these guidelines
Available Discounts:
Military & First Responders
- Discount: 15% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per person, per performance
- How to redeem: Use promo code SERVICE2526 online or call our box office
Seniors (65+)
- Discount: 15% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per person, per performance
- ID Required: Yes
- How to redeem: Use promo code SENIOR2526 online or call our box office
UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty & Staff
- Discount: 25% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per person, per performance
- ID Required at Entry: Yes (UNC One Card)
- How to redeem:
- Current faculty/staff: Use promo code UNCFS2526
- Retired faculty/staff: Use promo code UNCRET2526
UNC Health Staff
- Discount: 25% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per person, per performance
- ID Required at Entry: Yes (UNC Health ID)
- How to redeem: Use promo code UNCFS2526 online or call our box office
UNC-Chapel Hill Students
- Discount: $11 tickets (Zones 3, 4, and 5)
- Limit: 2 tickets per student, per performance
- ID Required at Entry: Yes (UNC Student ID)
- How to redeem: Use promo code UNCST2526 online and select price type “UNC Student,” or call our box office
Non-UNC Students (K-College, Statewide)
- Discount: $11 tickets (Zones 3, 4, and 5)
- Limit: 2 tickets per student, per performance
- ID Required at Entry: Yes (UNC Student ID)
- How to redeem: Use promo code UNCST2526 online and select price type “UNC Student,” or call our box office
Carolina Alumni Members
- Discount: 15% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per order
- How to redeem: Use promo code GAA2526 online or call our box office
Watch our video on applying discount codes when checking out!
Visit our FAQ page for more details.
Why We’re Presenting This
Dance remains one of CPA’s boldest and most beloved presentations. The return of the Martha Graham Dance Company with Graham at 100 embodies our ‘Long Live The Arts’ campaign—celebrating legacy, innovation, and cultural memory.
Martha Graham, widely known as the mother of modern dance, was one of the most influential and innovative figures in American dance during the 20th century. As the Company celebrates its centennial, we honor her legacy that redefined movement, storytelling, and the role of women in the arts. This program connects past and present, featuring iconic works alongside bold new commissions that show how the Graham tradition continues to evolve. It’s a powerful reminder that dance, at its best, is both timeless and urgently alive.
About Martha Graham
Graham is recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century, alongside James Joyce, Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, and Frank Lloyd Wright. TIME magazine named Graham “Dancer of the Century,” and People magazine named her among the female “Icons of the Century.” The diversity and depth of her extraordinary artistic legacy, often compared to Stanislavsky’s Art Theatre in Moscow and the Grand Kabuki Theatre of Japan, is perpetuated in performance by the Martha Graham Dance Company and Graham 2, and by the students of the Martha Graham School.
For more information about Martha Graham, please visit marthagraham.org
About Martha Graham Dance Company
The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a leader in the evolving art form of modern dance since its founding in 1926. It is both the oldest dance company in the United States and the oldest integrated dance company. Today, the Company is embracing a new programming vision that showcases masterpieces by Graham alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists. With programs that unite the work of choreographers across time within a rich historical and thematic narrative, the Company is actively working to create new platforms for contemporary dance and multiple points of access for audiences.
To read the company’s full bio, please visit marthagraham.org/company/.
Go further
Want to peek behind the curtain? Dive deeper into the world of the Martha Graham Dance Company.
Learn:
Martha Graham Dance Company 100 Years: Explore this new book by Deborah Ory and Ken Browar (NYC Dance Project) which features current Graham dancers along with archival photos from the past 100 years of the Graham company.
Listen:
Want to see more performances?
Check out the full lineup for the 2025-2026 CPA Season, and discover more incredible shows!