page_title: Bertram Ross
section_title: Dance career
hierarchical_section_title: Bertram Ross / Dance career
caption_attribution_description: Portrait of Martha Graham and Bertram Ross, faces touching, in Visionary recital, June 27 1961. Deutsch: Martha Graham mit Bertram Ross in Visionary recital, aufgenommen von Carl van Vechten am 27. Juni 1961.
context_page_description: Bertram Ross was an American dancer best known for his work with the Martha Graham Dance Company, with which he performed for two decades. He was Martha Graham’s longtime dance partner and the originator of male roles in most of her major ballets from the 1950s and 1960s, including Adam in Embattled Garden, and both Agamemnon and Orestes in Clytemnestra. After leaving Graham's company, Ross taught, choreographed and formed his own dance company. In later life, he toured in a cabaret duo with his real life partner, the composer and pianist John Wallowitch.
context_section_description: Ross began taking classes at Martha Graham's School under the GI Bill. When he received a scholarship from Connecticut College he took dance classes there as the first male student, then toured briefly with the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Dance Trio.
  In 1949, Graham invited Ross to join her company. In 1953, he first partnered her as Oedipus, to her Jocasta, in the ballet Night Journey.  Merce Cunningham had left the troupe in 1951, so she needed replacements for some of his roles. Graham was 59 years of age at the time, Ross, 33. Ross' superb technique, powerful, dignified stage presence, and craggy good looks, also garnered him lead parts in many of Graham's new choreographic works. Among these were Adam in Embattled Garden, St. Michael in Seraphic Dialogue, Agamemnon and Orestes in Clytemnestra and Brother Sun in Canticle For Innocent Comedians. In total, Ross originated 35 roles in the repertory.
  Critics described some of his characters in Graham's psychosexual dramas as "colorful and even lurid." The dancer himself is quoted as saying, "Every night and twice on matinee days I was beaten, beheaded, blinded and castrated - and it was wonderful! I never missed a performance."
  A few of the performances are documented:
  Appalachian Spring (1958) - Graham's Appalachian Spring was filmed for television and presented by WQED Pittsburgh. The cast includes Graham as The Bride, Ross as The Revivalist, Stuart Hodes as The Husbandman, Matt Turney as the Pioneer Woman, and Yuriko, Helen McGehee, Ethel Winter, Miriam Cole as The Revivalist's Flock. The piece features an original score by Aaron Copland.A Dancer's World (1957 TV movie documentary) - Another documentary filmed and initially aired by WQED. Designed as an introduction to Graham's work and narrated by the choreographer, the film shows the company in the studio demonstrating various aspects of her creative approach and technique.Martha Graham: An American Original in Performance (1957 documentary) - The 90-minute film includes three historic performances, A Dancer's World, Appalachian Spring and Night Journey, the legend of Oedipus with Ross in the starring role.
  Night Journey (1960 documentary short) - The black and white film by Austrian director Alexander Hammid was released as part of a monograph, Films on Ballet and Modern Dance: Notes and a Directory, published by the American Dance Guild.Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed, American Masters (1994 TV Series documentary) - The documentary chronicles Graham's life and work. Ross and former company members, among others, provide commentary.
  In 1966, when Martha Graham fell ill, Ross was named co-director of the company, first with Robert Cohan, then with Mary Hinkson, both veteran Graham dancers. Ross and Hinkson kept both the troupe and school operating during Graham's absence. Both resigned when she returned with a new director, non-dancer Ronald Protas. Ross left the company in 1973, reportedly due to artistic differences with Protas.
caption: Martha Graham Bertram Ross 1961
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