Jesse Factor's The Marthaodyssey Is a
Thrilling Reminder That Modern Dance
and Pop Culture Have Always Shared
the Same Rebellious DNA

The American Dance Festival presented The Marthaodyssey, created and performed by Jesse Factor and directed by Robert Ramirez, on
Wednesday, June 17th, in the R.J. Reynolds Industries Theater on Duke University's West Campus in Durham (photo by Steven Pisano)

What if Martha Graham choreographed Madonna's famous 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour? That's exactly what The Marthaodyssey brought to the American Dance Festival (ADF) stage Wednesday night, June 17th, in Duke University's R.J. Reynolds Industries Theater. Jesse Factor brought us a bold debut dance performance that combines Modern Dance, pop culture, and drag.

Rather than presenting separate, isolated routines, the production, directed by Robert Ramirez, is structured as a fluid, 50-minute experience. It bridges the worlds of historic Modern Dance, drag, and pop spectacle. Factor commands the stage. His movement focuses on precise, intensive Martha Graham technique, such as deep pelvic contractions and dramatic floor work. He carries the bulk of the high-camp storytelling and live drag lip-syncing.

Factor has a deep history with Modern Dance. He trained at the Martha Graham School and danced professionally with the Martha Graham Dance Company. And Factor has a longstanding relationship with ADF that spans his journey from a student to a featured professional headliner. The festival serves as a major milestone for both his training and his professional career. Factor used ADF to sharpen his craft. He completed intense dance pedagogy and professional studies through the festival's training programs.

The Marthaodyssey began its life as a standalone solo show, but the production has grown to feature a live ensemble cast. Even though Jesse Factor remains the central, anchoring force of the production, the performance expands on stage to include supporting dancers. While Martha Graham often used a "Greek Chorus" of background dancers to frame the main characters, dancers Claire Bryant and Jasmine Swaby execute routines that mimic Madonna's sharp, rhythmic backup dancers.

In addition, Factor and ADF invited local community dancers to join the stage for this historic event. Special guest dancers for this performance were: Leah Versola Kallam, Michelle Paredes, Sofia Christina Black, Jennifer Bowen, Riley Caligan, Joy Deborah Javits, Mia Crider, Emily Crofford, Dylan Cruce, Kate Gilpin, Jingqiu Guan, William A. Hill, and Elise Janson.

The American Dance Festival presented The Marthaodyssey, created and performed by
Jesse Factor and directed by Robert Ramirez, June 17th (photo by Delany Greenberg)

Based in the Graham repertory, the episodes that comprise The Marthaodyssey refer to Graham's major works, such as Spectre-1914 (1936), Lamentation (1930), and Acts of Light (1981).

Night Club Journey, based on Graham's 1947 dance Night Journey, injects humor and exuberance into the story. Part of Graham's Greek Cycle, Night Journey presents the Oedipus myth by focusing on Queen Jocasta. Factor preserves the gestural patterns of the original dance to communicate Jocasta's erotic pleasure, maternal love, and mortal confusion, while replacing William Schuman's score with the Queen of Pop's most iconic songs: "Material Girl," "Like a Virgin," and "Papa Don't Preach." Claire Bryant and Jasmine Swaby join Factor for this segment as "Daughters of the Night Club Journey."

Madonna and Martha Graham shared a fascinating student-teacher relationship that directly inspired the entire premise of the dance. When Madonna was 19 years old and newly arrived in New York City, she enrolled in dance classes at the Martha Graham School. The school enforced a strict, uniform dress code for all students. Rebellious and eager to stand out, Madonna broke the rules by ripping her leotards, safety-pinning them back together, and showing up with holes in her stockings. Madonna's constant fashion defiance eventually got her called into the director's office. During the meeting, it is said that Martha Graham herself walked in to confront the young dancer about the school's rules. When Graham told her there were regulations to follow, Madonna boldly fired back, saying that if Graham had always followed the rules, she never would have taken off classical tutus and changed the dance world. Martha Graham gave Madonna a nickname that would stick with her for decades: "Madame X." Forty years later, Madonna paid ultimate homage to her former teacher by naming her 14th studio album Madame X. In the album's promotional materials, she openly cited Graham as the source of the title.

The soundscape of The Marthaodyssey is designed by Andy Hasenpflug. The musical foundation uses backing tracks and instrumentals, pulled directly from Madonna's famous Blonde Ambition World Tour. Instead of just lip-syncing to pop lyrics, Jesse Factor lip-syncs to the spoken words of Martha Graham. The production weaves in old archival audio interviews and historical commentary from the legendary modern dancer.

Designer Tony Allgeier crafted the wardrobe with a creative and bold visual style. The opening dress was iconic of the full-skirted dresses that Martha Graham would wear. In Open Your Heart, Allgeier created "the tube" in a stretchy fabric similar to what Graham wore in Lamentation. The striped and sequined sheath worn in the finale was also a big hit with the audience.

The scenic design by Tucker Topel included custom structures, including tongue-in-cheek fabrications that mimic the iconic, geometric stone and wood sets that artist Isamu Noguchi famously built for Martha Graham's original ballets.

The American Dance Festival presented The Marthaodyssey, created and performed by Jesse Factor and directed by Robert Ramirez, on
Wednesday, June 17th, in the R.J. Reynolds Industries Theater on Duke University's West Campus in Durham (photo by Beth Barbis)

Media artist Scott Andrew designed the video landscape. Everything from a three-way discussion about make-up, to some vivid and fast-paced geometric shapes for the finale dance, was perfectly timed and brought an extra level of excitement to the stage.

Lighting designer Madeleine Steineck is the creative force behind the vivid, atmospheric lighting for this performance. Her lighting switches from dark, heavy shadows to bright, flashing concert pops. My favorite lighting design was for the song, "Express Yourself," where Steineck used thin beams of white light in fog, that produced mottled patterns on the floor and on Factor's body.

The Marthaodyssey is an excellent choice for this year's ADF program because it beautifully honors the festival's history while pushing the boundaries of Modern Dance. Part historical tribute, part glittering drag party, this show proves that Modern Dance can be profoundly smart and incredibly fun all at once.

Ultimately, the piece is a thrilling reminder that Modern Dance and pop culture have always shared the same rebellious DNA.

ADF's playbill sums it up: "This performance contains bright & flashing lights, loud noises, haze, and excessive fabulosity, honey."

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The American Dance Festival's 2026 season runs from May 27th to July 25th in Durham. This year's festival hosts 26 dance companies and choreographers delivering 49 performances. The summer lineup highlights artistic milestones, featuring nine world premieres, 12 ADF-commissioned works, and 13 company debuts.

Performances will be presented at Page Auditorium, R.J. Reynolds Industries Theater, von der Heyden Studio Theater, The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Jewish for Good, Mutual Tower, and ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Dance Studios in Durham. Tickets can be purchased through ADF's website or the Duke University Box Office.

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The American Dance Festival presented The Marthaodyssey, created and performed by Jesse Factor and directed by Robert Ramirez, on
Wednesday, June 17th, in the R.J. Reynolds Industries Theater on Duke University's West Campus in Durham (photo by Paula Lobo)

Jesse Factor's THE MARTHAODYSSEY (In Person on Wednesday, June 17th), directed by Robert Ramirez (American Dance Festival in the R.J. Reynolds Industries Theater on the upper level of the Bryan Center on Duke University's West Campus in Durham). TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgqkT-w24Zc&t=17s. DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/386539187/. PRESENTER: https://americandancefestival.org/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/80430903, https://www.facebook.com/AmerDanceFest/, https://www.instagram.com/amerdancefest/, https://www.tiktok.com/@americandancefestival, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dance_Festival, and https://www.youtube.com/@AmerDanceFest. 2026 SEASON: https://americandancefestival.org/2026-season/. VENUE: https://arts.duke.edu/places/reynolds-industries-theater/. JESSE FACTOR (self-described "Internationally Ignored Dance Celebrity" and assistant professor and modern program director in the School of Dance at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA): http://www.jessefactor.com/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-factor-88042039/, https://www.facebook.com/jesse.factor.73, https://www.instagram.com/jessefactor, and https://vimeo.com/jessefactor. INFORMATION: 919-684-6402 or adf@americandancefestival.org. PLEASE DONATE TO: American Dance Festival. [RUN HAS CONCLUDED.]

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