Dancing Art and Politics Behind the Iron Curtain: Martha Graham's 1962 Tours to Yugoslavia and Poland

This article presents new information about the appearances of the Martha Graham Dance Company during its 1962 State Department-sponsored tour behind the Iron Curtain. The Graham company's multilayered performances in Eastern Europe occurred in a complicated international context. This research clarifies not only which Communist countries Graham and her company actually visited, but also the choices, logistics, and negotiations involved in this tour. While reflecting on the methods and aims related to the ideological construction of others on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the article explores the complex relationship between Graham and the State Department.