The last time the Graham dancers appeared at the Egg, she says, it played to little more than 20 percent capacity.

The real tribute is embodied in the commitment displayed by the Graham dancers.

The performers moved with a grandeur that identified them, in ways good and bad, as Graham dancers or their direct descendants.

Graham dancers have always been expected to be aware of the culture around them.

The letter has been signed by 23 Graham dancers; 54 former company members; and 500 "artists and colleagues."

Appropriately, the Graham dancers themselves took pride of place, turning out a super-polished performance.

The Graham dancers have worked 37 weeks in 1988 and 40 weeks this year.

The Graham dancers have been without a contract since June 1993.

Until the fall of 1999, the Graham dancers' bookings are slim, but they perform as if there were no tomorrow.

More than most Graham dancers, she defines the shape of every movement.