Martha Ullman West
Martha Ullman West is a graduate of Barnard College and is an arts writer specializing in dance. Since 1980, she has been writing about dance in Oregon, and other places, for a number of publications, including Oregon Arts Watch. Her book, Making Ballet American: Todd Bolender and Janet Reed was published by the University Press of Florida in 2021.
Author's Entries
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Bonnie Merrill (1935–2019)
Bonnie Merrill, a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, was a founder and creative force of Portland’s modern and contemporary dance scene. She had a profound influence on Oregon’s choreographers, dancers, and students and was an integral part of developing an audience for theatrical dance, especially in Portland, where she …
Oregon Encyclopedia
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Janet Reed (1916-2000)
Janet Reed’s stellar career began in Portland in 1934 when she danced the Sugar Plum Fairy in the first Nutcracker performance in Portland. Beloved by audiences and critics for her comic energy, fine-tuned technique, and dramatic abilities, Reed, whose strawberry blond hair and diminutive stature were part of her …
Oregon Encyclopedia
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Toni Pimble (1953–)
Toni Pimble, one of the first women to lead an American ballet company, is a founder of the Eugene Ballet, the oldest established ballet company in the state. As resident choreographer, she created more than sixty ballets for the company, many of them collaborations with Oregon artists, including Native American …
Oregon Encyclopedia
