CriticalDance Forum

this is a continuation of several threads on this very important subject. for background, you may wish to read:

the previous thread (june 2000)- http://forum.criticaldance.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000074

the one before that (end of may, onwards)- http://forum.criticaldance.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000054

one before that (april, on)- http://forum.criticaldance.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000035

the martha graham supporters' site is at - www.marthagrahamcenter.com

<font size = -2><center>(Edited by salzberg to fix link)</center></font>

<small>[ 08-11-2002, 15:35: Message edited by: salzberg ]</small>

Responding to michael's post in the previous forum.. regarding "can a nation's cultural legacy supersede the rights of an individual (ie., legal claims by Mr. Protas to control over the Graham estate)" . Regarding the rights of a composer...I believe once a composer has died (at least in the area of classcial music), their music is considered "in the public domain" ....and can be used at large. Don't know how it works in dance....this is a legal question that shag would be ideal to answer.

just a note on copyright, which as a notator i am supposed to be a mini-expert on - (but i'm NOT, any more, in the international sense, because there have been some major changes re intellectual property rights in several countries in the last few years): copyright remains with the author (or the author's estate) for 50 YEARS AFTER the death of the creator. this applies to music, books, anything.<P>therefore, in this case, as graham presumably willed rights of all works to protas, (i don't know that, i'm assuming), they remain his property for 50 years after HER death, AND he may will them to someone else after his death (if he dies within the 50 years, which seems likeley).<P>so there would be a long way to go before graham's works came into the public domain....too long for this basic principle to be any help. <P>which is regrettable, really, as trina's point is a very valid one, re national cultural heritage. someone should have thought of THAT!<p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited July 11, 2000).]

<u>NOTE from Stuart</u>

In order to speed up loading times, I have moved the letter and the list of signatories, referred to below by tmdell, to:
http://forum.criticaldance.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000096

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God bless every single person on that list, and God speed the effort. Thank you, Stuart for making the entire letter and listing of names accessible. It is the first that I have seen the entire list printed , and it is quite a powerful and emotional thing. Please, everyone that reads this - help spread the word, help advance this noble cause.

[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited August 05, 2000).]

<font size = -2><center>(Edited by salzberg to fix link)</center></font>

<small>[ 08-11-2002, 15:36: Message edited by: salzberg ]</small>

<BR>We are working very hard to update our website with all the new material. <BR>It will take a day or two before that really happens. <BR>Hopefully then we will have ALL the signatories listed on view. There is a list of about 300 more that will follow initial signatory list that you posted today. <BR>

Whoa! What a list? And, tadejny, you say there's more?

<P>Frostburg State University<P><BR>The latest chapter in the saga and another loss for dance and dance students. Frostberg were featuring Martha Graham in their Summer School and the climax was to be a performance of 'Panaroma'. However, some of the faculty members of the summer School were signatories of the Graham Dancers' petition. So Ron (whom God preserve) issued an ultimatum to drop those lecturers or lose the piece. <P>The College are concerned about the dispute in general and offerred to mediate between the sides in the clear air of Maryland. But they have now decide that they cannot bow to the ultimatum and have cancelled the Graham piece and have replaced it with various pieces including one by Jane Dudley one of the earliest dancers to work with Graham. They will use her piece 'Harmonica Breakdown' (which is super) and Dudley has now signed the petition. I have seen Ron treat Dudley with great respect, so one can only hope that he will ponder this new development. Then again....<P>Here is the full story in the NY Times. As it is in the NY Times library, it may last for a couple of weeks.<P> <A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/library/dance/071700graham-dance.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.nytimes.com/library/dance/071700graham-dance.html</A>

It was not said in the New York Times article, but ALL (not only few) teachers, dancers and lecturers signed our petition including Pearl Lang.<BR>One more update. We, dancers from The Martha Graham Dance Company are going to perform our own work and works by other choreographers on August 16th, at Union Square (6pm) as a part of Dance in The Park summer series.<BR>It is true that we are unable to dance Martha's pieces, but we are not going to sit and fight on paper only. It is time for us to slowly return on stage where we belong.<BR>And in slow steps I believe we are going to do just that.

By the way that is me on the picture teaching our talented Teens. <BR>God I miss being back in studio,....

Thanks for the update, tadejny, and the information about the upcoming performance.

Latest from AP, "FROSTBURG, Md. –– Officials at Frostburg State University are scrambling to shield the school from a fight over the legacy of dancer Martha Graham. A three-week program for high school and college students from around the country opened Sunday, but not exactly as planned."<P> <A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000718/en/martha_graham_1.html" TARGET=_blank>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000718/en/martha_graham_1.html</A>

tadejny, very best wishes for the Union Square programme. I'm sure that wiser heads than mine will be reviewing those works by choreographers brought up in the Graham tradition, with a view to performance possibilities. <P>In the UK, the names that spring to my mind, apart from Jane Dudley are Robert Cohan, the AD, and Darshan Singh Bhuller and Sue Davies, both choreographers who used to dance in the London Contemporary Dance Theatre, as was. Both Davies and Bhuller continue to make distinctive work. <P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 19, 2000).]

another story on the crisis. from boston herald<BR> <A HREF="http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/danc07212000.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/danc07212000.htm</A>

Here is another wonderful article about Frostburg retreat: <BR> <A HREF="http://www.sunspot.net/content/cover/story?section=cover&pagename=story&storyid=1150370208819" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sunspot.net/content/cover/story?section=<BR>cover&pagename=story&storyid=1150370208819</A> <P><BR>[Edited by Azlan to fix the link]<P>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited July 24, 2000).]<P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 28, 2000).]

Grace, I have a question on on the copyright issue for dance. I studied at the Benesh Inst. in London and remember being told that in order to be copyrighted the piece must be notated and that film/video was not sufficient. Has this concept been changed since the early 70s?<P>By the way, I had followed a link from a NY Times article on the Graham Company situation to the web site which asked for support for the dancers' position. I wrote a letter and subsequently received an email containing a copy of the letter signed by the dancers and a request for me to send a statement to the effect that I supported the dancers' position/sentiments as set forth in that letter - which, of course, I did.