Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter

The history of American dance would have been much different without Martha Hill (1900–1995), who studied with luminaries such as Martha Graham before creating an innovative dance program at the newly established Bennington College in Vermont in 1934. In 1951, Hill was appointed the first Director of Dance at the Juilliard School, a position she held through 1985. Under her leadership, Juilliard became the first major institution to place equal emphasis on the techniques of both modern dance and classical ballet, a controversial choice at the time. Greg Vander Veer's documentary combines archival footage and stills (including excerpts from Hill's lectures) with extensive interviews of colleagues and students, painting an admiring portrait of an individual whose influence was not only remarkable and enduring, but also affected her students' personal as well as professional lives. Miss Hill doesn't shy away from acknowledging Hill's sometimes imperious manner, the problems she faced while at Juilliard (when her championing of modern dance was challenged by George Balanchine's classicism), and the slights she suffered during her final decade as emeritus director. But it accentuates the positive, overall, and the interviewees here provide ample testimony to the grace, acumen, dedication, and generosity of spirit that informed the career of a woman responsible for nurturing many of the finest dancers and choreographers of the 20th and 21st centuries. DVD extras include archival dance footage, extended interviews, and text bios of Vander Veer and producer Vernon Scott. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)