Martha Graham may be gone, but she certainly is not forgotten.
Jesse Factor is noted as a modern dance teacher, fluent in the Graham technique, at Point Park University. But by his own Instagram admission, he is an “Internationally Ignored Celebrity.” For he has gone beyond his studio there and resurrected the Picasso (Picassa?) of Dance in a totally unexpected way.
Titled “The Marthaodyssey,” Factor took an absolutely rapt audience on a journey, one that has been a part of his life for a very long time and more than three years in development. The production has been intensifying since he and two other Point Park University staff members, Jason McDole and Marc Spaulding, presented a trio of solo works during the summer of 2023.
That summer Factor’s piece had hints of Martha, but not the unwavering focus that he would ultimately achieve.
There were few Point Park representatives that summer, both student and faculty, that were still around for the initial peek at his program. So I went to the Kelly Strayhorn Theater the next December, thinking that the turnout would be similar. But KST was packed with a Pittsburgh dance community that had heard some collective buzz and was there to see the results.
It was stunning from start to finish. The curtain had a crown projected over the initial “M,” which is all you needed when referring to this acrobat of God.
And then it opened. My jaw slowly dropped and remained in place for the hour-long performance.
There she was, seated in silhouette and clad in a sweeping purple gown, hands cupped in that trademark style. When she began to move, it was with a lean muscularity that was eerily reminiscent of Martha herself.
Only this Martha/Jesse was dancing to a Madonna hit. “Really?,” many probably thought. However, it turned out that there was a connection. The word circulating around was that the two had actually met.
Now wasn’t that special? But could Factor sustain it throughout?
He did. A rare achievement, one in which Factor’s relentless eye for detail created a work that resurrected highlights of Martha’s life for those who might not be in the Graham loop.
For those who were in that coveted loop, Factor lovingly offered the Graham technique with extraordinary detail and profound care. You could almost feel a breeze from the waist-length black wig, as Factor contracted and arched his back.
Everything was given an ever-so-slight edge. Funny, yet serious at the same time.
You could see it as he was Genderfucking the Madonna lyrics. Call it lip syncing without the benefits of Pixar technology, a virtuosic technique of over-emphasizing the lyrics drag-style and particularly noticeable with those perfectly plump red lips.
Yet he didn’t omit the educational aspect. For those uninitiated, Factor took a bit of time to explain Martha on a voiceover. And students from his class hit the stage to provide some exuberant voguing.
There wasn’t a moment to lose in creating a fitting crescendo to the finish.
I was waiting for Lamentation, with Factor encased in the iconic purple tube. So agonizingly sublime. But Factor put in his own twist, eventually stripping to a bedazzled G-string. Yet somehow he never lost sight of the modern dance maven’s genius.
So it seemed that Martha indeed was back. And the National Performance Network recognized that in August. One of 35 finalists, NPN gave him over $100,000 to help “document, promote, and share their work.” https://npnweb.org/announcing-the-2025-documentation-amp-storytelling-fund-awardees/#artist-jesse.
Well deserved!
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