Graham, Mary Linda (1957-) | University of Illinois Archives

Name: Graham, Mary Linda (1957-)

Variant Name: Linda Graham

Historical Note: Mary Linda Graham is a dancer and educator. In 1972, she began attending the National Academy of Dance in Urbana, Illinois. After graduating she earned a bachelors of fine arts in theater from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1979. In 1981, she earned a masters in dance performance and choreography from the University of Illinois. She was hired as an assistant professor at Hope College in 1983, teaching dance history, historical dance, and ballet. In 1986, Graham founded the Aerial Dance Theater and choreographed more than 300 shows with this company. While at Hope College, she set works on the Joffrey Ballet, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and the Grand Rapids Ballet. In 1997, she received a Creative Artist Grant from ArtServe Michigan. After chairing the dance department at Hope until 2015, Graham retired in 2019. She has since been working as a freelance dance teacher.

Sources: M. Linda Graham Website: https://www.everydaydances.com/about

Note Author: Nolan Vallier