Linda Hodes

Linda Hodes (1931-2025)

Born in the US, Lisa began studying dance at age 9 in the children’s class of the Martha Graham School in New York. In 1953 she joined Graham’s company and performed in lead roles in many of her works. In addition, she also danced in Broadway musicals and TV productions.

In 1964 she arrived in Israel for the first time as Graham’s assistant, in preparation for Batsheva’s premier with her choreographies. In 1965, Hodes returned to Israel to train the company dancers in performing Graham’s choreographies The Embattled Garden and Diversion of Angels and decided to stay in the country. She joined Batsheva as a teacher and dancer, and later also taught in the Bat-Door Dance School, Jerusalem Music and Dance Academy and Inbal Dance Theater. She married the dancer Ehud Ben-David and remained with the company until 1970 as a dancer, teacher and rehearsal manager. Until 1975, she was responsible for Graham’s repertoire in Batsheva and was a co-artistic director alternately in 1971-1974. Her dances in Batsheva include Adam & Eve, Tent of Visions (1965); By Order of Creon, Side Show (1966); Voices of Fire (1967); Curtains, Moves (1969). Hodes also choreographed the following works for the company: The Act (1967), Look at Yourself (1972). In 1970 she stopped dancing with Batsheva and served as a guest choreographer in the London Rambert Ballet, and as a teacher and rehearsal manager in the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT). She also taught dance at Juilliard, Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, and the American Dance Festival in New York. In 1974, Hodes rejoined Batsheva to dance in Graham’s Dream.

In 1975, she moved back to New York and managed Martha Graham’s school, where she also served as a rehearsal manager and in 1979-1991 as a co-artistic director. In 1992-1998, she was a rehearsal manager in the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and the artistic manager of Taylor 2.