Arts Publications
Topic: RSS FeedGraham tribute coincides with copyright battle - News - plans of Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance offend Martha Graham Trust - Brief Article
Dance Magazine, April, 2002 by Joseph Carman
In the midst of a federal court battle over the rights to Martha Graham's ballets, both parties in the dispute are planning to present tributes in honor of the choreographer. The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance (including the Martha Graham Dance Company) will stage a gala tribute on April 18 to honor the seventy-sixth anniversary of the choreographer's first dance concert. The Martha Graham Trust (headed by Graham heir Ron Protas, who is fighting the Graham Center in court) has decided to postpone a tribute originally scheduled on the same date until later in the year.
Marvin Preston, the president of the board of the Graham Center, said, "We are going to do something to acknowledge Martha's first performance." The all-Graham program, to be announced, will be performed by dancers of the Martha Graham Dance Company, which last performed in May 2000. Rehearsals began in January.
Judd Burstein, the lead counsel representing the Graham Trust, has not sought an injunction to stop the Graham Center's tribute, but insists that the center pursues its plan at its own risk. "It is an act of supreme foolishness for the center to go ahead and perform these works," Burstein said. He stressed that if the copyright portion of the case is decided in favor of the trust, "the center could pay substantial damages," adding, "We will destroy them."
Robert Russo, the administrator of the Martha Graham Trust, said, "The trust feels that while the appeal is pending and the litigation ongoing, it is not responsible or appropriate to stage a gala of this sort at this time and the trust is now planning to produce a gala tribute honoring Martha Graham later in the year."
The first phase of the Graham case dealt with the issue of whether the Graham Center had the right to use the name "Martha Graham," which Protas had trademarked. In August 2001, the trademark issue was decided in favor of the Graham Center, and the trust appealed that decision in December. A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is not expected to rule on the appeal until late summer or early fall. "From my perspective, we expect the appeal to go nowhere," said Preston.
The second phase of the case, regarding the copyright ownership of the ballets, is set to begin April 22 in New York City. Federal Judge Miriam Cedarbaum, who adjudicated the trademark issue, will preside.
- 5 Rules for Immediate Annuities
- Death in the Family: 12 Things to Do Now
- Dumbest Things You Do With Your Money
- 6 Online Networking Mistakes to Avoid
- 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid
- 5 Economic Scenarios to Keep You Up at Night
- The Real ‘Best Places to Retire’
- Best Credit Cards for You
- 12 Tough Questions to Ask Your Parents
- The Real ‘Best Colleges’
- Home Buyer Tax Credit: How to Cash In
- Why You Shouldn't Bash Cash
- 8 Phony 'Bargains' and Better Alternatives
- Danger: 3 Debit Card Scams to Avoid
- 6 Myths About Gas Mileage
- 29 Fees We Hate Most
- Quick and Easy Ways to Boost Returns
- Best Stocks to Buy Now
- Lower Your Taxes: 10 Moves to Make Now
- New Jobs: 8 Lessons from Real-Life Career Switchers
- The New Job Market: Who Wins and Who Loses?
- Health Care Reform's Public Option: Everything You Need to Know
- Volunteer Work When Unemployed: Should You Work for Free?
- Whose Recovery Is This?
- Long-Term-Care Insurance: 4 Biggest Risks to Avoid
Content provided in partnership with
Most Recent Arts Articles
Most Recent Arts Publications
Most Popular Arts Articles
- What makes a successful business person? Business people who are tops in their field have a lot in common, and art professionals can learn a lot from their successes and strategies
- Baggage Blues - how to handle lost luggage - Brief Article
- Brittany Murphy - Interview
- The Arnolfini double portrait: a simple solution
- Emily Watson - IVTR



