A pivotal force in contemporary dance, Janet Eilber has danced at the White House, danced with Rudolf Nuryev, and most importantly, danced for Martha Graham. It was Graham who mentored Eilber as a young dancer – coaching her in her famous “contraction and release” method – eventually leading to Eilber’s appointment as Artistic Director of the Martha Graham Dance Company, School, and Archive in 2005. She is still there, commissioning work that embodies and expands on Graham’s legacy. “Martha is compared to Picasso and Stravinksy because she made such a seismic shift,” Eilber has said. “Her discoveries were so radical.” That radicalism lives on, cemented and extended by Eilber’s leadership. Founded in 1926, the Martha Graham Dance Company is not only the oldest contemporary dance company in America, but one of its most dynamic, producing new work and interpretations of classics at a remarkable pace. Did we mention that Eilber also played the co-star and love interest to Rick Springfield in the 1984 movie, Hard to Hold?

Below are Janet Eilber’s favorite books, available to purchase individually or as a set.