Janet Eilber has been Artistic Director of the Martha Graham Dance Company since 2005. Born in Detroit in 1951, she trained at Juilliard and danced alongside Martha Graham for nearly a decade before transitioning to film and Broadway, then returning to lead the company.
When President and First Lady Biden sent a congratulatory letter to Janet Eilber in 2022, celebrating her 50 years in dance, they recognized something remarkable. Here was a woman who had transformed from student to star performer to the guardian of one of America’s most important cultural legacies.
Janet Eilber represents a rare combination in the arts world. She is both a preservationist and a visionary, someone who understands Martha Graham’s revolutionary work from the inside while pushing it into new territory for contemporary audiences.
What This Article Covers: You’ll learn about Eilber’s journey from Detroit to the Martha Graham Dance Company, her parallel career in Hollywood and Broadway, and how she has shaped modern dance for two decades as artistic director. We’ll examine her specific contributions, the challenges she faced, and why her leadership matters for American culture.
Early Life and Training
Janet Eilber was born in Detroit and at 10 moved to Northern Michigan where her parents joined the faculty at Interlochen Arts Academy. This move proved transformative. Growing up surrounded by artists and educators gave Eilber access to world-class training from an early age.
Her mother and grandmother were both singers and played piano. The creative environment extended beyond the academy into her home life. Her parents encouraged imagination and artistic exploration, staging neighborhood shows with their daughters.
At Interlochen, Eilber discovered modern dance through teacher William Hug. She first saw the Graham company perform in Detroit on a high school field trip, though she admitted being puzzled about why an old woman was onstage. She initially considered herself a Limón dancer and went to Juilliard to study with José Limón.
At Juilliard, she was mentored by teachers of the Graham and Limón legacies and directed by José Limón in several classics. While still a student, she received an invitation that would change her life: to join the Martha Graham Dance Company.
Dancing with Martha Graham
The relationship between Eilber and Graham proved extraordinary. She worked closely with Martha Graham for almost a decade, danced many of Graham’s greatest roles, had roles created for her by Graham, and was directed by Graham in most major repertory roles.
Graham recognized who you are and what you are thinking by just watching you walk across the room. One memorable moment came during an early rehearsal. Graham told Eilber she had to get her head on straight, recognizing a favorite pose as a meaningless default position. Graham wanted intentional choices, not habits.
Eilber’s performance career reached impressive heights. She soloed at the White House, was partnered by Rudolf Nureyev, and starred in three segments of Dance in America. She worked with Graham’s major collaborators, including sculptor Isamu Noguchi, composer Aaron Copland, and fashion designer Halston.
The Graham technique emphasizes what dancers call contraction and release. This method uses the torso’s core muscles to express emotion through movement. Eilber mastered this demanding approach, becoming one of Graham’s most trusted interpreters.
Key Performance Highlights
| Venue | Partner/Role | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| White House | Solo performances | National recognition |
| Dance in America | Three segments | PBS television exposure |
| Royal Opera House | Multiple productions | International acclaim |
| Paris Opera Ballet | Guest performances | Global reputation |
Hollywood and Broadway Years
After her time with the Graham company, Eilber pursued opportunities in film and theater. Her motion picture debut came as Richard Dreyfuss’s girlfriend in “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” (1981). The powerful drama showcased her dramatic abilities beyond dance.
She appeared on Broadway in the starring role in Bob Fosse’s “Dancin'” and in “The Little Prince and the Aviator” opposite Michael York. Working with Fosse, one of Broadway’s most demanding choreographers, added another dimension to her artistic education.
Her first television break came when she landed the title role in a 1982 ABC-TV movie “This Is Kate Bennett,” portraying an investigative reporter. This led to additional film work, including “Romantic Comedy” (1983) and “Hard to Hold” (1984) with Rick Springfield.
The Hollywood experience taught Eilber about commercial production, audience engagement, and storytelling through different media. These skills would later inform her approach to making Graham’s work accessible to broader audiences.
She has received four Lester Horton Awards for her reconstruction and performance of seminal American modern dance. These honors from the Dance Resource Center of Los Angeles recognized her technical excellence and interpretive skills.
Leading Martha Graham Dance Company
In 2005, Eilber returned to the Martha Graham Dance Company as Artistic Director. The company, founded in 1926, is both the oldest dance company in the United States and the oldest integrated dance company. Taking the helm meant accepting responsibility for an irreplaceable cultural legacy.
Her direction has focused on accessibility. She pioneered new forms of audience access through contextual programming, educational partnerships, use of new media and technology, and commissions for today’s top choreographers.
Eilber introduced spoken introductions before performances, helping audiences understand Graham’s complex works. She created thematic programming that connects historical pieces to contemporary concerns. She launched partnerships with educational institutions to train the next generation.
The company under Eilber’s leadership maintains 17 highly trained dancers who perform both classic Graham works and new commissions. She specifically seeks choreographers outside expected circles, bringing fresh perspectives to the Graham technique.
Creative Initiatives and Projects
She has remixed Graham choreography and created new staging in the Graham style for theater/dance productions of “The Bacchae” and “Prometheus Bound.” These adaptations show how Graham’s movement vocabulary can illuminate classical texts.
Eilber developed the Lamentation Variations project, inviting contemporary choreographers to create responses to Graham’s iconic 1930 solo. This initiative has produced dozens of new works, each exploring grief and loss through individual artistic voices.
She expanded the company’s digital presence, using video and social media to reach audiences who might never attend a live performance. During the pandemic, she quickly pivoted to online programming, keeping the company visible and relevant.
Since 2005, she has taught, lectured, and directed Graham ballets internationally for companies such as the Dutch National Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet. This work spreads Graham’s influence while generating revenue for the home company.
Recognition and Impact
In 2025, Eilber will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Martha Hill Dance Fund. This honor recognizes her sustained contributions to dance education and performance over five decades.
The Martha Graham Dance Company performs at venues including the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House, and Covent Garden. Under Eilber’s direction, the company has also performed at the Great Pyramids in Egypt and the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens.
Beyond performance, Eilber served as Director of Arts Education for the Dana Foundation. In that role, she guided support for teaching artist training and contributed to arts education publications. She currently serves as Trustee Emeritus of Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Her husband, screenwriter and director John Warren, shares her creative life. They have two daughters, Madeline and Eva, who grew up surrounded by the world of professional dance and theater.
The Graham Technique Today
Martha Graham developed a movement system based on contraction and release. The technique uses breathing and the body’s center to create powerful, emotionally direct choreography. It differs from ballet’s emphasis on lightness and elevation.
Eilber maintains the integrity of this technique while demonstrating its continued relevance. She has said that Martha is compared to Picasso and Stravinsky because she made such a seismic shift, and her discoveries were so radical.
The company trains dancers in the pure Graham technique before introducing them to repertory. This ensures that Graham’s specific movement quality remains consistent across generations of performers. New company members spend months mastering the contraction, the spiral, and other foundational movements.
Eilber balances preservation with commission of new works. She commissions pieces from choreographers who understand Graham’s principles but bring contemporary sensibilities. This approach keeps the company relevant without diluting its distinctive identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Janet Eilber?
Janet Eilber is the Artistic Director of the Martha Graham Dance Company since 2005, a former principal dancer with the company, and a performer in film and Broadway.
How long did Janet Eilber dance with Martha Graham?
Eilber danced with the Martha Graham Dance Company for almost a decade, performing many of Graham’s greatest roles and having roles created specifically for her.
What movies did Janet Eilber appear in?
She appeared in “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” (1981), “Romantic Comedy” (1983), and “Hard to Hold” (1984), plus television work including “This Is Kate Bennett.”
Where did Janet Eilber train?
She trained at Interlochen Arts Academy during high school and then at the Juilliard School, where she studied Graham and Limón techniques.
What innovations has Janet Eilber brought to Martha Graham Dance Company?
She introduced contextual programming, educational partnerships, digital media initiatives, commissioned new works, and created projects like the Lamentation Variations that engage contemporary choreographers.
Preserving an American Legacy
The Martha Graham Dance Company faces challenges that plague all cultural institutions. Funding remains perpetually tight. Competition for audience attention grows fiercer. Yet under Eilber’s direction, the company not only survives but thrives.
Her unique qualification comes from lived experience. She learned directly from Graham, understanding the choreographer’s intentions firsthand. She knows how each role should feel from the inside. This knowledge cannot be gleaned from video recordings or written descriptions.
At the same time, Eilber resists the temptation to turn the company into a museum. She commissions new work that honors Graham’s principles while speaking to contemporary concerns. She uses technology thoughtfully to extend the company’s reach. She builds partnerships that introduce Graham’s work to diverse communities.
The company celebrated its centennial in 2026, marking 100 years since Graham founded it. Under Eilber’s leadership, those celebrations looked both backward and forward, honoring history while claiming space for continued evolution.
Conclusion
Janet Eilber’s journey from Michigan girl to guardian of American modern dance illustrates the power of mentorship, persistence, and vision. She absorbed lessons from some of the 20th century’s greatest artists, then applied those lessons to leadership.
Her success as Artistic Director stems from understanding that preservation and innovation are not opposites. The Martha Graham Dance Company under her direction remains faithful to its founder’s revolutionary vision while staying relevant to contemporary audiences. That balance requires constant attention, artistic judgment, and courage.
Will the next generation of dance leaders follow Eilber’s example? Can they balance respect for history with the demands of the present? The answers will determine whether America’s great dance legacies survive another hundred years.
