

GRAHAM 2 HOLIDAY SHOW
A Celebration of Virginie Mécène:
19 Years Leading Graham 2.
Ring in the season with festive, family-friendly matinee, and a special tribute to Director Virginie Mécène, celebrating 19 years leading Graham 2.
PROGRAM
- Appalachian Spring Suite
- Excerpts from Canticle for Innocent Comedians
- Virginie Mécène’s Clair de Lune
- Embattled Garden Suite
- Excerpts from Night Journey
- Special guests: Buglisi Dance Theatre
VENUE: Martha Graham Center, 1501 Broadway, 11th Floor
DATE:
December 11th | 6:30 PM
December 12th | 2:00 PM
December 12th | 6:30 PM
FAMILY-FRIENDLY MATINEE
Saturday, December 12 | 2:00 PM
Bring the whole family for a festive afternoon of dance, creativity, and holiday fun! Enjoy selections from Martha Graham’s iconic repertoire, along with hands-on arts and crafts activities for young audiences.
TICKET PRICES: $45 Adults / $25 Students & Children
GRAHAM 2 DANCERS
Alana Coleman
Alana Coleman
ALANA COLEMAN was born and raised in Texas. At an early age, she began dancing in a small studio in her hometown, under the direction of Arrica B. Lagsding. She has trained at an array of intensives, including The Dallas Conservatory, Oklahoma University, Dallas Black Dance Theater, and the Martha Graham Dance Company. She is a graduate of the Certificate Program at The Ailey School, where she performed works by Alvin Ailey, Branndi Lewis, Christopher Huggins, Darrell Moltrie and Jennifer Archiblad. As a new member of Graham 2 she is excited to continue her passion for dance and carry on the Graham legacy.
Johana Gracía Morales
Johana Gracía Morales
JOHANA GRACÍA MORALES Born and raised in Mexico, started dancing at the age of 4, strongly based in classical ballet and contemporary and later on introduced to various modern techniques, for the last two years she trained at the Joffrey academy (recently named Grainger academy ) of the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago at the contemporary ballet trainee program, at her time there she got to work with numerous figures of the dance world, choreographers as Roderick George, Keelan Whitmore, Martha Nicols, Manoela Gonçalves and teachers as Katlin Michael Bourgeois, Amber Neumann, Anne O’Donnell Passero, James Gowan, Keesha Beckford and many more. Johana it’s honored to now be a member of the Graham legacy with her first season as a Graham 2 member.
Instagram: @johanagracia_
Sophia Greene
Sophia Greene
SOPHIA GREENE (she/her) is a New York City based dance artist from Syracuse, NY. She holds a BFA in Dance with a concentration in Modern from Marymount Manhattan College, with additional training through the Martha Graham School, the O’Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation, Tecniche di Danza Moderna, and American Academy of Ballet. Sophia employs her experience in theater, voice acting, and music to inform her dance approach. She has performed works by José Limón, Martha Graham, Tamisha Guy, Netta Yerushalmy, Raja Feather Kelly, Nathan Trice, Caterina Rago, Sameena Mitta, Nicholas Cunningham, and others, in NYC venues such as The Joyce Theater, 92NY, Battery Park, Paul Taylor East, Judson Church, Ailey Citigroup, and abroad in Italy. Currently, Sophia is a member of Martha Graham Dance’s Graham 2, and performs as a company member with CRDANCE Company, MeenMoves, and as a founding member of Svalyava Contemporary Dance.
Danielle Gutt
Danielle Gutt
DANIELLE GUTT is a New Jersey-raised dancer and artist who earned her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Montclair State University in 2023. During her time at Montclair, she performed works by Stefanie Batten Bland, Miguel Miranda, Paul Taylor, Urban Bush Women, Christian von Howard, Gregory Dolbashian, and Jessica DiMauro Marks, among others. Since graduating, Danielle has continued to develop her artistry through performance, rehearsal direction, and collaboration, including performing and restaging works by Miguel Miranda. Her performance credits include WestFest Dance Festival, 92Y Future Dance Festival, Battery Dance Festival, and an Open Studios program at Center for Performance Research, curated by Stefanie Batten Bland. She has also performed with KTCO The Company at Arts On Site NYC and internationally in Alberta, Canada, in collaboration with Good Women Dance Collective. Danielle is thrilled to join Graham 2 as a full company member for the 2026–27 season.
Manuel Hernandez
Manuel Hernandez
MANUEL HERNANDEZ (bio coming soon!)
Kevin Higgins
Kevin Higgins
KEVIN HIGGINS is a dancer and emerging choreographer originally from North Carolina. He is a member of the Martha Graham Dance 2nd company, while concurrently completing his senior year at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Previously he has danced professionally with Daniel Gwirtzman Dance and ShaLeigh Dance Works. As a student at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Springboard Danse, Kevin has performed works by Martha Graham, Lar Lubovitch, José Limón, Catherine Coury, Peter Chu, and Akira Uchida. Higgins’ choreography was presented by the American Dance Festival at the Nasher Art Museum in 2021 and The Boston Conservatory’s WinterWorks program in 2025 and 2026. In his childhood he was a part of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble (NCYTE), and performed shows in schools along the East Coast educating students about percussive dance forms. He is so grateful to be joining Graham 2 this season and cannot wait to see what the future has in store!
Maylissa Jean
Maylissa Jean
MAYLISSA JEAN Maylissa Jean, originally from Ottawa, ON, began her training at The School of Dance New Edinburgh Campus where she remained for nine seasons in the professional programme, completing her Advanced 1 Classical Ballet Cecchetti Examination. Alongside ballet and modern, she has trained in Flamenco, Ukrainian, West African and Character dance. Jean graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program in 2025 with a minor in Psychology, where she trained under Jacqulyn Buglisi, Penny Frank, Hollie Wright, and Graciela Kozak. She has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Peiju Chien-Pott, Adam Barruch, Darshan Singh Bhuller, RiaGrace Bauman, Sarah Wingo, and Alison Cook Beatty. Her performance highlights include two seasons of Alvin Ailey’s Memoria during AILEY’s New York City Center season in 2023 and 2024. Maylissa is overjoyed to experience her first season with Graham 2.
Instagram: @maylissa_jean
Jacqueline Lee
Jacqueline Lee
JACQUELINE (JACKIE) LEE, originally from Los Angeles, California, started dancing at the age of 15, after spending her childhood years as a competitive ice skater. She began her training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), performing repertory by renowned companies such as Kibbutz, Límon, and Nederlands Dans Theater, including a performance of Kibbutz Dance Company’s Aide Memoire at the National High School Dance Festival. Jackie graduated in May 2025 with a BFA in Dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. While at Tisch, she performed works by Bebe Miller and Annie Rigney, and was a cast member in Compagnie Kashyl’s 60-minute piece, Distances, choreographed by Ashley Chen, performed at La MaMa Dance Theatre. She has continued her professional development through intensives including Paul Taylor, Orsolina28, and the B12 Summer Dance Festival, where she studied repertoire from choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Marco Goeke, Fabian Thomé, and Baye & Asa. Jackie is beyond excited to be entering her first season as a Graham 2 dancer.
Instagram: @jackie_leee
Eddy Adad Pérez Trimiño
Eddy Adad Pérez Trimiño
EDDY ADAD PÉREZ TRIMIÑO was born and raised in Mexico, where he started his dance training in local studios. At 16, he moved to the United States to continue his dance education at Idyllwild Arts Academy, and later at The Ailey School Scholarship Program, focusing on ballet, modern and contemporary dance. There, he was a member of the Ailey Student Performance Group for two years. He has performed works by Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Mauro Bigonzetti, Barak Marshall, Amy Hall Garner, Tracy Inman, Blakeley White-McGuire, Virginie Mécène, Maria Bauman, among others. Eddy is thrilled to join Graham 2 this season!
Zoe Ridgell
Zoe Ridgell
ZOE RIDGELL was born and raised in Portland, Oregon where she began her training at Classical Ballet Academy under the direction of Sarah Rigles. She then joined the Jefferson Dancers and trained at Open Space Dance under Franco Nieto, Charlene Hannibal, and Maeve Dougal. Zoe continued her training at The Ailey School where she earned her BFA in Dance and a BA in English. In her 4 years at the Ailey School, she discovered her love of the Graham technique by studying under Peiju Chien-Pott, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Christine Dakin and Penny Frank. Outside of her undergraduate studies, Zoe studied the repertoire of Marco Goecke and Crystal Pite at Orsolina28. She has performed works by Yin Yue, Annie Rigney and Adam Barruch and has danced soloist roles in works by Keelan Whitmore, Darshaun Bhuller and Harrison Guy. Zoe is honored to begin her first season with Graham 2.
Instagram: @zoe.ridgell
Emelyn Urdahl
Emelyn (Emy) Urdahl
EMELYN (EMY) URDAHL graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Economics. She trained with the Ailey School / Fordham University BFA program, and has performed in works choreographed by Alvin Ailey, Anne Plamondon, PeiJu Chein-Pott, Annie Rigney, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, and Darshan Singh Bhuller. Emelyn is an Apprentice with Buglisi Dance Theatre and a member of Pangea Dance Collective. She has attended intensive programs at many institutions including Sidra Bell Dance, Gallim, B12 Berlin, the Martha Graham School, Parsons Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. This is Emelyn’s first year dancing with Graham 2. She is very excited to be carrying on the legacy of Martha Graham!
Website: emelynurdahl.com
Instagram: @emyurdahl
Tianyu Wang
Tianyu Wang
TIANYU WANG is a dancer from Beijing, China. He trained at the Beijing Dance Academy’s Chinese Dance Program, where he served as Student Body President and developed a strong foundation in Chinese Classical Dance, Chinese Folk Dance, and choreography. He later moved to the United States to continue his artistic development and earned a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) on a full scholarship.
At UNCSA, Tianyu trained in a range of contemporary and ballet techniques and performed works by choreographers including Martha Graham, José Limón, Darrell Moultrie, Trey McIntyre, Marco Goecke, Juel Lane, and others. He has also performed professionally with Peridance Contemporary Dance Company.
Before pursuing dance, Tianyu studied piano and competitive swimming. These early experiences developed his sensitivity to music, rhythm, and physicality, and continue to influence the way he approaches movement and performance. His diverse training has shaped an approach to performance that combines musicality, physical strength, and attention to detail.
Now based in New York, Tianyu is a member of Graham 2. He seeks to expand his physical and artistic language through the study of Graham technique and repertory while continuing to develop as both a dancer and choreographer. He is interested in the relationship between strength and vulnerability, and in how different experiences shape the body and sense of identity. Through dance, collaboration, and creation, he hopes to build meaningful connections with artists and audiences from diverse backgrounds.

Graham 2 is a company that draws from the most advanced dancers of the Martha Graham School.
Serving as a bridge between the Graham School and the Martha Graham Dance Company, the mission of Graham 2 is to elevate the Graham tradition to younger audiences, diverse cultural communities, and smaller venues all while serving as a springboard for young dancers before entering the professional dance world.
GRAHAM 2 OFFERINGS
GRAHAM 2 brings an exhilarating dance experience to theaters, schools, community centers, and other venues. The performance begins with an introduction of GRAHAM 2 by the Artistic Director, a brief history of Martha Graham, and an overview of the dances to be performed. GRAHAM 2 will then perform works and excerpts from the Martha Graham repertory and of other choreographers who work in the Martha Graham tradition. Following the performance, the audience is treated to a full question / answer session with the Artistic Director, dancers, and technical crew.
This behind-the-scenes look reveals the preparation required to produce an evening of dance and for dancers to adapt to a new performance venue. The Stage Manager welcomes visitors and explains what happens in a “technical rehearsal,” such as setting lights, sound levels, and all “cues.” The audience will observe the dancers “spacing” the dances and learning entrances and exits. An open “tech” rehearsal includes a complete run-through of the work being rehearsed. The length of this offering depends upon the discretion of the presenter, as actual technical rehearsals run from 1 to 5 hours.
The Lecture Demonstration illustrates how a Martha Graham dancer is trained. GRAHAM 2 Director begins with a brief introduction about Martha Graham’s life, philosophy, and her impact on American Modern Dance and the fundamental elements of Ms.Graham’s technique are demonstrated by GRAHAM 2 dancers. The class proceeds from floor work to standing phrases to leaps across the floor and demonstrations of her dramatic falls to the floor. Then, excerpts from dances are presented and briefly commented on by the Artistic Director before each selection. A question and answer session for audience and dancers concludes the program. Lecture / Demonstrations last approximately one hour and can be adjusted to fit available time.
Master Classes provide a unique opportunity to explore the principles of the technique of Martha Graham, recognized as the foundation for contemporary dance forms that have followed. The Master Class consists of the three components that make up the Graham Technique Class: Floor Work, Center Work, and Across-the-Floor. The class is designed based upon the age group, skill level, and previous dance experience of the student body. The class may be taught at the Introductory, Intermediate, or Advanced technique level. Master Classes are taught by a faculty member of the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and demonstrated by members of GRAHAM 2.
Each class is 1 1/2 hours in length and can accommodate 30 students based upon the size of the space available.
A Master class prior to an open rehearsal can be booked at the School.
A Lecture Demonstration followed by a Master Class lasts 2 hours.
The three classroom sections of the Master Class are shortened by 10 minutes each, followed by a video presentation of a dance choreographed by Martha Graham. We conclude with a question and answer discussion with the teacher, demonstrator, and students. Total time is 1 hour, 45 minutes.
For booking information contact Graham 2 Director Lorenzo Pagano at lpagano@marthagraham.org
AUDITION FOR GRAHAM 2
Graham 2 track students are held to exceptionally high standards for technical proficiency, and must enter the program at a minimum of Graham Technique Level III, with the expectation that at the end of the two-year program they will be prepared for Graham Technique Level IV classes. Students are expected to remain in excellent standing in order to secure their Graham 2 enrollment in Years 1 and 2.
PERFORMANCE VIDEO SUBMISSION
Submit video excerpts of the applicant in live performance. Samples must be 2:30-3 minutes in length, and may be from solos, duet/trios, or groups. Applicants must indicate their placement in the excerpt.
GRAHAM REPERTORY VIDEO SUBMISSION
Submit videos of the applicant performing the material in the videos in this section as follows:
- Men: Acts of Light excerpts (2:22 – 6:27) solo from Dark Meadow (7:35 – 8:56)
- Women: Acts of Light excerpts (0:08 – 3:44) Solo from Temptation of the Moon (6:25 – 7:35)
GRAHAM 2 IN-PERSON CALLBACK AUDITION
Graham 2 Application Deadline is May 1, 2026; Applicants will be notified by May 22 if they are invited to attend in-person callback auditions. Applicants selected to advance to the callback auditions MUST be in NYC and available on June 20, 2026. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance no later than June 26, 2026.
All Graham 2 applicants are strongly encouraged to enroll in the Martha Graham School Summer Intensive / Week 1: Level IV with Graham 2 Director, Virginie Mécène.
