The Guide to Attending the Martha Graham Winter Intensive in New York City (2025)
The Martha Graham Winter Intensive is an annual dance intensive every December/January for beginner to professional dancers. There is also a longer Summer Intensive every June/July, both taking place at the Martha Graham School. The Winter Intensive offers a recurring selection of Graham and technique classes over the course of three weeks.
I attended the Martha Graham Winter Intensive from December 30, 2024 - January 10, 2025.
This guide is based on my personal experiences and is in no way intended to discredit, defame, or maliciously criticize the event. Please refer to the organizer’s official website for the latest program updates and festival schedule.
Martha Graham is known as the "Mother of Modern Dance," reigning over the early 20th century. She's the creator of what's now recognized as Graham technique, a highly codified, physically demanding school of modern dance that requires years of progressive training.
The Martha Graham School in Manhattan's West Village houses the current Company's rehearsal studios, shared with students of the School and the summer and winter intensives. There are also extended options for Teacher Workshops and the popular Modern Classics Series.
In this guide, I will be focusing solely on the Winter Intensive (WI).
With this guide, I hope to give you unfiltered, reflective insight into the particular quirks and workings of the Martha Graham WI, so you can be prepared when you go.
What is dance travel?
Also known as “dance tourism,” dance travel is the dancer’s key to seeing the world while developing their craft.
dance travel — n. a means of travelling the world using dance as a catalyst and/or foremost purpose; activities can include taking workshops, attending festivals, teaching dance, and more.
There are several steps to follow for attending any dance festival abroad or in-nation:
- Do your research. Which festival do you want to attend and when? What is the destination like? Do you need a Visa and/or ETA?
- Get the money, and manage your budget.
- Sign up. Look up their website.
- Apply for grants (optional but highly recommended!).
- Prepare travel essentials like cash exchanges, money debit cards, and travel insurance.
- Pack light. Pack like a dancer.

Your travel documents
If travelling from abroad, check that your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip. Check your government website for any visas or other documents needed for the destination, as well as risk advisories. Renewing your passport and/or applying for visas will all take some time, so factor this into your planning.
The website
The WI website is located at https://marthagraham.edu/winter-intensive/.
It's relatively easy to follow and straight to the point. Find the "Full Registration Instructions – Please Read" link underneath REGISTER NOW and click on it. You'll find a step-by-step document explaining everything you need to do to sign up and pay for the courses.
Back on the webpage, you'll find an overview of Graham technique, as well as core curriculum descriptions of each class offered, so you can decide which level is best for you.
I had a hard time choosing my level just from descriptions alone, so I contacted the school for an opinion. You can find their contact information at the very bottom of the page, under FOR MORE INFORMATION.
All the pricing is laid out clearly in a table both on the webpage and in the full instructions document.
Choosing your workshops
The WI offers three Graham levels: Graham I, II, and III/IV. Levels III and IV are in the same class.
You choose the courses you want to take, with the option of attending for one, two, or the full three weeks.
However, some courses like ChoreoLAB or Repertory require a minimum of three weeks of Graham. Others, like the Modern Classics Series, requires at least one week of Graham.
The following descriptions are sourced from their website and are to used as reference only:
GRAHAM I: Elementary
For students with little or no experience in the Martha Graham Technique, focusing on foundational principles and basic exercises. Goals include movement skills, concentration, and self-awareness.
GRAHAM II: Intermediate
For students with a solid understanding of elementary principles and a strong execution of all Level I material (e.g., seated contractions, deep stretches with spirals, turns around the back ending in pitch). Instruction builds strength, balance, stamina, focus, extended kinetic vocabulary, and an introduction to fundamental Graham phrases and repertory.
GRAHAM III: Advanced
For students with substantial experience in the Martha Graham Technique who demonstrate a strong command of all Level II material (including turns around the back to the strike, back leg extension with pleading to floor and recovery, sitting fall with spiral, and split fall). Instruction includes longer Graham phrases and repertory study.
GRAHAM IV: Advanced/Professional
Reserved for students with advanced and professional experience in the Martha Graham Technique, students learn extended Graham phrases and repertory, deepen physical and artistic mastery, and strive towards virtuosity as dance professionals.
Graham Teachers evaluate each dancer to ensure they are in the proper level. Students may not change level (higher or lower) during the Intensive without prior approval by their assigned Graham Instructor.
There are two ballet levels:
Advanced Beginner/Intermediate – Paired automatically with Graham I or Graham II due to scheduling conflicts.
Advanced – Paired automatically with Graham III/IV due to scheduling conflicts.
There are two contemporary levels:
Advanced Beginner/Intermediate – Paired automatically with Graham I or Graham II due to scheduling conflicts.
Advanced – Paired automatically with Graham III/IV due to scheduling conflicts.
There's a once-weekly Modern Classics Series masterclass:
Each week is different, focusing on one of Limón, Horton, or Dunham technique (Cunningham also used to be a possibility).
There are four courses with specific prerequisites. They require the full three weeks of the intensive, with at least one week of Graham technique.
ChoreoLAB – Previously known as Composition, this class is intended for you to experiment with different choreographic methods.
Improvisation – Exactly what it sounds like - exploring methods of improvisation.
Contemporary Partnering – Traditional and contemporary ways of partnering and sharing weight with another person.
Repertory – Learn Graham's classic choreography and rehearse in-studio. Goes at an Intermediate/Advanced pace.
Additional Courses:
There have been other courses within the WI that come and go based on demand. For example, Writing for Dance (or something along that name) was offered two years ago but removed due to low demand. (A travesty, since I would've loved to take that class, but that's just me.)
Check the website each year for the latest offerings.
A note about the schedule
I found it quite odd that the Graham levels and ballet/contemporary levels were tied together. Just as a professional dancer in general doesn't mean a professional Graham dancer, a Graham I dancer does not necessarily mean they are beginner or intermediate in ballet and/or contemporary.
Unfortunately, there is no way to get around this right now because the studios are shared between the intensive students, School students, and professional Company. The Company needs the space in the afternoons for rehearsal.
Graham, ballet, and contemporary classes at the School take place between 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM each day (excluding weekends). Additional afternoon classes are taken at the School if there's space or allocated to their second studio space nearby at Christopher St. These studios are home to another dance company and are also rented out to the public.
I hope the School will figure out a way to separate these classes in the future, so dancers can get the proper progressive training in different disciplines.

How professional is “professional?”
A.K.A. What moves do I need to be able to do? — the million dollar question lurking in the back of every dancer’s mind. If you're aiming for the higher-level courses, here are things you want to consider.
The website provides some guidance by course description, but if you're unsure, contact the school administrator. I emailed them and found they got back to me quite quickly each time.
However, many things can affect whether or not you’re professional-level. Class frequency, teacher, and performance opportunities can all affect the outcome. When judging for yourself, then, just trust that you know which level you should be in. The more experience you have, the better you can tell what sort of class it will be.
Personally, I had taken one year of proper Graham training at school with a direct disciple of Martha Graham. So, I signed up for Graham III/IV first to get a feel for it and then discussed with the teacher whether it was working out. He suggested I familiarize myself more with the technique in Graham II first, so I adjusted my schedule at the end of week one.
(Honestly, I think if I hadn't mentioned it to him, he wouldn't have said anything. There were quite a few dancers in the advanced class who were not adequately trained in Graham either – such as my dear peer who, to my complete shock, signed up for it without knowing what Graham was at all! We asked about our progress together, and she joined me in Graham II. Some other dancers who hadn't fulfilled four years managed to stay on out of a combination of personal technique and sheer will, though I did see more and more dancers from Graham III/IV filter through Graham II by the end of the second week.
All in all, do what's best for you, and definitely don't hurt yourself if you're not ready for it.)
Ironically, Graham II felt harder than Graham III/IV! The teachers had very different teaching styles, so while I was a little disappointed at my "drop," ultimately I was very happy because I learned so much in Graham II that Graham III/IV assumes you know already.
For ballet at the advanced level, be prepared for long balances and holds at the barre. The centre will include lots of beats, petit allegro, and extended adagios.
For contemporary at the advanced level, you should be able to do shoulder rolls back and forth as well as have a coherent understanding of floorwork and weight shifts through space. Some examples include skids and leg swings across the floor (dropping your upper body down while your leg swings around). Upside-down kick-ups (where you lift your feet off the floor momentarily in a transition move with your hands pressing into the floor) are also good to know.

Resources to practice with beforehand
If you're super keen to get a head start (or want to prepare yourself before entering the advanced level, like me), the Martha Graham Dance Company offers their own amazing video courses for purchase on Vimeo.
Beginner: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/grahambeginning?msockid=2b27e8f9a80b6b8e1aaefd9ca9126aa0
Intermediate/Advanced: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/grahamint?msockid=2b27e8f9a80b6b8e1aaefd9ca9126aa0
They each show a full class with voiceover narration explaining the concepts in-depth. Once you purchase them, you can log into Vimeo to watch.
The best part is once you have them, they're yours! You can use them for daily training or whenever you need to refresh your knowledge.
Another great resource is YouTube. Some dancers have posted full-length floorwork sessions or lessons that are great to follow along with. These are the gems I found:
The admission process
No audition necessary.
Login and create a Mindbody account and follow the instructions here to select your classes. You will need to pay both a registration fee and the course fees.
You can choose to first pay a small deposit to secure your spot. The deadlines for full payment are listed within the instructions.
Make your payment. You will receive an email confirming the registration.
Performances and opportunities
ChoreoLAB culminates in an optional student showcase at the end of the intensive.
Sometimes there are also studio showings (like their Studio Series) from the Company or School that intensive students are invited to come watch or volunteer at. All this will be sent out in an email to registrants.
Studio locations
Two locations are used:
- Westbeth Artists Community (Martha Graham studios on the 11th floor)
- Creative Cultural Center at St. Veronica (aka. Christopher St. Studios)
Westbeth / Martha Graham Studios
The Westbeth Artists Community is a non-profit housing and commercial complex intended to provide affordable accommodation for artists in New York City. Many of its residents are older, so it's important to respect noise levels and etiquette.
(I know what you're thinking. Last time I checked, applications were closed. It's rare they open the waitlist at all because competition is so high.)
The Martha Graham Dance Company studios are located on the 11th floor. There's a concierge on the ground floor who will service the elevators in the morning to be able to go up.
Inside the space, there are three studios. One is a large studio that can accommodate upward of fifty people on the dance floor, with space around it to watch and rest.
The Company dancers raved the entire time about the "new floor" in the large studio. Before we arrived, it used to be a hard floor with no bounce at all – terrible on the knees and joints. Now it's a lovely Marley.
The other two studios are smaller and, for the purpose of the WI, used for ballet and contemporary classes. Repertory is taken in the large studio.
Students are welcome to go into the large studio to observe during class (keep it quiet!). I highly recommend watching the Repertory class for a performance by your peers. The Graham technique classes are also amazing to watch; the sheer power and strength required for this form of dance is insane.





Christopher St. Studios
The Christopher St. Studios are located in the basement of an old church, now called the Creative Cultural Center at St. Veronica. You'll get instructions on how to access all the studios in an email from the director before the intensive.
There are several studio spaces here, one larger and the others small. Because of the building's old structure, it can get quite chilly in the winter here, which was brought to the attention of Martha Graham staff already. Dress warm!
It's a ten-minute walk between Christopher St. and Westbeth, which has led to some understandable conflicts with making class on time.



The daily life
Winter in New York City is cold! When that wind picks up, it really picks up. Be careful of icy sidewalks, and always remember to bring layers.
The West Village itself is a very bougie, quaint place – definitely up there in terms of price. Located in Greenwich Village, there are lots of cute cafes and a long strip of retail stores if you walk further out toward the main street.
Hungry Llama is a popular cafe for a coffee or treat due to its proximity to the School. There's also a great grocery store nearby where you can pickup hot food (the pasta and chicken were actually really good!) and some unique protein drinks.
Fortunately, the transportation system in NYC is pretty convenient for a big city. You can get anywhere within the central core without fear of being stranded. Just tap your credit/debit card and ride.
Since most classes take place in the mornings and afternoons, definitely go watch some Broadway shows if it's your first time in the city! You won't be able to line up for rush tickets (they start selling at 10 AM), but that's where apps and discount sites come in handy.
Plus, going in the winter means you'll see NYC Christmas and New Year's action in full blast. Make a trip to Times Square (maybe not on New Year's Eve) at night, and it's like a completely different world.


Somebody had a fun time this Christmas.
Scholarships
The School doesn't offer any scholarships outright for the intensives, but there is one available for alumni of the Martha Graham School based on nomination. Private studios may also have partnerships with the School to award one student a scholarship. That's how a peer of mine afforded it.
Graham for Europe has also given scholarships to students in the past to attend the intensives in New York City. Keep an eye out on their blog and social media to enter the giveaways. They also hold their own intensives in Paris, with opportunity to be sponsored for those as well.
Managing your budget
Unless you’re part of the 1% who never have to worry about spending money, artists will probably want to have a budgeting system in check before they go to the Martham Graham WI. The Tripcoin app is a great Apple budgeting tool, and it’s free with no ads! (Thank you, Lonely Planet, for the tip.)
New York is an expensive place!!! For my two weeks, I spent just under 3700 USD. This includes the costs of accommodation, groceries/eating out, workshops, travel, and entertainment. If you're planning on doing the whole run, budget for 5000 USD – more if you're traveling from Europe or Asia, for example.
For currency exchanges and on-the-go top-ups, I personally use Wise. It’s free and easy to set up an account, and from there you can order both a physical and digital card. If you want a physical card, carve time for it to arrive, since it takes around 18 days. The digital card has all the same functions; you just can’t use it on an ATM.
The Graham courses are the most expensive, $535 for three weeks. The other courses are significantly cheaper, but the numbers will add up fast. Discounts are automatically calculated through Mindbody.
One way to gain funding and help offset the price of participating is to apply to grants.
Applying to grants
Applying to grants is optional, but I highly recommend it!!! It could mean the difference between paying for everything out of pocket and having (almost) your entire trip funded without a cost to you.
If you’re a dance artist with a sound reason for attending the WI, it does count as professional development! Many governments and even some smaller foundations offer grants to artists and arts workers to fund workshops, training, apprenticeships, and more.
The Canada Council for the Arts, for example, has an Explore and Create grant to support professional development for artists, up to a maximum of $10,000 CAD. You can only apply to this grant once a year, regardless of the outcome.
It’s very much worth talking to an officer on the phone first if it’s your first time applying. They can offer tips and tricks and additional information that isn’t found on the website. The current grant approval process is based on 3 factors: impact 40%, relevance 40%, and feasibility 20%.
Impact: How does your project affect your artistic community?
Relevance: How is your project necessary to your own artistic practice?
Feasibility: How able are you to undertake this project? (This is why I suggest registering before you submit a grant application, so you have something concrete to put in this section.)
The chances of a successful grant depend on how many other applications there are, how strong your application is, and — to a certain extent — who is on the jury.
Now, my application this time wasn’t successful, despite passing the minimum score required to receive a grant. It all depends on so much. I think it’s worth working with a professional grant writer the first few times to ensure your application is as strong as possible.
With the Explore and Create grant, as long as you submit your application before the actual project starts, you can retroactively apply any expenses to the grant amount received.
Expenses unrelated to your grant are not applicable (e.g. watching a Broadway show for the fun of it).

Accommodation
Where do I live? More importantly, where do I live that’s also not crazy expensive???
The West Village in Lower Manhattan is a pricey area, so you'll probably have to find housing further away from the downtown core. Many students live in Brooklyn, Queens, or New Jersey during their stay. Try to keep your travel time to a maximum of 40 minutes by public transit.
Below are my recommendations:
Stay with a friend: If you’re lucky enough to have a friend or relative in NYC, this is the usually the best combination of price, safety, and convenience. Make a call on social media to see if anyone knows someone; that's how I found my room for the first week for only 200 USD in Brooklyn. The second week, I couch-surfed at a childhood friend's living in Central Manhattan for free!
Pod 51: Of all the hotels I looked at, Pod 51 is the best combination of convenience and price. It's like a hostel-hotel hybrid. The location is central enough, and because I booked during Black Friday, I got flexible cancellation too. I used this as my backup if I couldn't find a better deal elsewhere. There are other locations available: Pod Brooklyn, Pod 39, and Pod Times Square.
Hostels: There aren't as many hostels as in Europe, but you can still find some budget options through Hostelworld or a simple Google search. HI Hostels is a glocal chain of safe, affordable accommodation for travellers with a membership. HI New York City is a good option with decent prices, and memberships don't cost a lot. They're valid for one or two years depending on your country. You can book first and sign up for the membership later, as long as you have valid proof of it when you check in.
Apartment hotels: Also known as “living hotels,” these are basically hotel rooms with more features, like a kitchen and lounge space.
Regular hotels: My friend who did the intensive before stayed at the Washington Square Hotel, which was around $130/night. However, this was during COVID times, and you'd be hard-pressed to find that same price nowadays, especially in the run-up to the New Year's.
Co-living spaces: A mix between apartment hotels and co-working spaces, co-living is akin to staying in a communal dorm, the emphasis being “communal.” These are usually large apartments split into individual rooms — sometimes with a standalone kitchen in each room — and common spaces shared between 3-6 people on average. Think university dorm vibes but post-graduation, and you’re paying for everything without a student loan. It’s usual to be moving in with strangers in this scenario. However, I find that "co-living" in NYC is more akin to just finding a roommate or short-term rental. It's not quite the same meaning as what it is in Europe.
Airbnb: Some apartment hotels are also listed on Airbnb. If that’s the case, book directly with the hotel because you’ll likely get a better price and easier service if anything needs to be changed. Scroll past the first couple pages to see if you can find a good deal.
Rental platforms: Do a quick Google search for rental platforms that accommodate short-term rentals.
Facebook: Truly the last resort. You just never know whether a listing is real or not on Facebook.
Remember, your accommodation should make you comfortable. If spending a bit more on safety, convenience, and privacy is what will make you comfortable, it's not a bad deal.
No matter where you live, try to find a place with a kitchen and a dryer (very important if you’re going to be sweating it up). Even eating out gets tiresome if you have to do it for a month every day. Communal laundry facilities are fine, but be warned it might get expensive real soon.
Living further away from the studios in exchange for safety or a better place isn’t bad; NYC has a relatively convenient public transportation system. Remember that you might be taking class early in the morning, so take care to map out your routes before finalizing accommodation.

Food & groceries
Major grocery stores in NYC include ALDI (discount), Whole Foods (medium to premium prices), and Trader Joe's (unique and specialty items).
I didn't try to cook for myself a ton this time round because I knew I'd be exhausted from exploring and dancing each day. Just know that Manhattan prices are out of this world.
Booking travel
It pays (and saves) to book your travel early. This goes for both rail and plane travel.
Depending on what other events are happening at the same time, you could be looking at an inflated rate. Imagine my disbelief when I tried to book a plane ticket for my mom to come with me, so I could give her a vacation, and it cost 1000 CAD just to go from Toronto to New York! That's only a 1.5-hr flight! Be warned that anytime around Christmas and New Year's is going to blow up the prices. (My mom requested to cancel her flight once I told her.)
The general consensus is you should find a middle-ground booking window to purchase tickets. Not too early, not too late. Skyscanner has a great alert function that lets you know whenever prices for your selected routes drop or rise, and you can decide when to bite the bullet from there.
For rail travel, Amtrak is a major railroad transporter across the US. NYC has two large train stations you can arrive in, Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station.

Travel medical insurance
If you take nothing else from this article, at least heed my advice here.
You’re going to be dancing all day, every day, hardcore, full-out. There’s no reason not to get travel medical insurance. If you’re a serious dancer (and even if you’re not!), your body is your most valuable resource. Take care of it.
Use preventative measures. Wear those knee pads, stick that KT tape. Safety > fashion, anytime.
And if you do anticipate or fear for an injury, then have a backup plan in case. Make sure your insurance includes repatriation services. Have someone you can call in case you need a translator or helping hand while there. Know the locations of the biggest hospitals in the area.
You don’t want to be stuck in a situation like I was in Munich: The German Ambulance Debacle That Cost Me 820 EUR.
Trust me, people do get injured at the WI (I did) and even outside of it! It goes beyond black-and-blue bruises.
Travel medical insurance, travel medical insurance, travel medical insurance.
Pack like a dancer
Pack light, and pack like a dancer. Try to keep everything to one carry-on; you’d be surprised how little you need. I used the BÉIS carry-on roller, so I had a (slightly) bigger packing capacity.
Consider bringing items like:
- KT tape
- knee pads
- first aid kit, muscle cream, and any prescriptions or OTC medications you need
- stretch band
- small massage roller
- manicure kit
- bobby pins, extra hairbands, and clothing pins
- makeup (if you’re performing)
Bring some wacky clothing options as well — colourful socks, alternative designs, anything that could pass for a costume if need be.
If you're planning on auditioning while in New York ('cause why not turn this into a double opportunity?), bring appropriate shoes and dancewear.

Conclusion
The Graham technique is so specialized and unique that I think every contemporary dancer should try it out, even if only for one class. If you're looking for the authentic experience, then head to New York City. It's the birthplace of Graham and the city where Martha Graham herself shattered every expectation of dance and the role of women in performance.
More importantly, you'll meet some truly amazing teachers and peers who share your love of Graham dance. I had the fortune to witness the famous Lloyd Knight (can you believe he's already 50?!) and other great teachers in action. The goal alone is worth it. When everyone works together to achieve the same thing, synchronizing the same moves, magic happens.
All photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World unless otherwise stated. I am not affiliated with any of the services mentioned; these are my honest recommendations and experiences as a dance artist who has attended the intensive.
