Mary Linda Graham started working at Hope in 1983. She taught dance history survey, historical social dance, career skills and ballet. She also taught all levels of ballet and jazz, repertory, production, folk social and swing dance, accompaniment for dance and improvisation. She served as the Dorothy Wiley DeLong Professor of Dance since 2014. 

Areas of Expertise

A former member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Linda also worked in New York City with various companies under the direction of choreographers such as Anna Sokolow, Mary Anthony, Ulysses Dove and Lynne Taylor-Corbett.

Linda co-founded and co-directed Aerial Dance Theatre, an affiliate of the Hope department of dance.

Linda enjoyed experiential learning about history and training, specifically exploring the commonalities between classical training for dancers, horses and dogs, and the relationship between communication, creativity and physical discipline.

Education

• National Academy of Dance, Champaign, Illinois
• MFA, choreography/performance, University of Illinois
• BFA, theatre, University of Illinois

Awards and Recognition

• Michigan Dance Association Choreographer's Award
• Michigan Dance Council Maggie Allesee New Choreography Award
• Two-time recipient of the National Association of Regional Ballet Monticello Fellowship for Young Choreographers
• Partners in Dance award from the Grand Rapids Ballet
• Creative Artist Grant from ArtServe Michigan in 1997
• Grateful recipient of numerous Hope grants

Set Works

• The Joffrey Ballet (Arpino Apprentices)
• Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II
• The Grand Rapids Ballet

View Mary Linda Graham's set work on Digital Commons.

Choreography

Linda’s choreography has been produced in the United States, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, Mexico and France and for the children’s television program “C’mon Over.”

For the college Linda created over 40 original works performed by students and choreographed many musicals, including works for Hope Summer Repertory.

Outside the College

Linda enjoys time with her family, social dancing with her husband, exploring nature, yoga and working with animals, particularly horses (dressage) and dogs (such as the Belgian Malinois).