"Uncovering the Hidden Life of Martha Graham, Modern Dance Icon" - Interview with Victoria Phillips

Columbia News spoke with Victoria Phillips about her new book, Martha Graham's Cold War: The Dance of American Diplomacy, her influences, and her teaching.

February 17, 2020

In 1955, Martha Graham, whom the press had dubbed the “High Priestess of Modern Dance in America,” began a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of the “domino nations,” those countries considered most susceptible to communism. Graham, who famously claimed that she was “not political,” went on to perform with her company on five continents during the administrations of eight U.S. presidents. The congressional record shows that her charisma was electric at home and abroad, making her an important ambassador on the diplomatic “cocktail circuit.”

In her latest book, Martha Graham's Cold War: The Dance of American Diplomacy, historian Victoria Phillips examines Graham’s more than 30-year career, framing it as pro-Western Cold War propaganda that promoted American democracy. In choreography that focused on women protagonists whose stories promoted timeless politics and cultural values, Graham’s work demonstrated the power of the free world.

Columbia News recently spoke with Phillips (GS’85, BUS’88, GSAS'08 and '13) about the book, her influences, and her teaching. Read the interview here.