Hill, Martha (1900–1995)
Hill, Martha (1900–1995)
American modern dancer and teacher. Name variations: Martha H. Davies. Born Dec 1, 1900, in East Palestine, Ohio; died Nov 19, 1995, in Brooklyn, NY; Columbia University Teachers College, BA; New York University, MA; m. Thurston "Lefty" Davies (director of NY's Town Hall), 1952 (died 1961).
Pioneeer in American dance education, performed with dance troupe of Martha Graham (1929–31); taught at Kansas State Teachers' College, where she organized and trained dancers for a dance festival; worked in similar capacity for other institutions, including University of Chicago and University of Oregon, before being employed as director of Bennington School of the Dance (1934–39) where modern dance was 1st considered a separate art form; was founding director of American Dance Festival (1948–c. 1965) and founding chair and 1st director of dance division at Juilliard School in NY (1951); oversaw the institution's inclusion of both modern and ballet techniques in equal degree in dance instruction; became artistic director emeritus (1985) and remained in that position until her death.