11 Jan Bessie: A Portrait of Bessie Schonberg

Bessie Schonberg danced with Martha Graham until a knee injury forced her to quit and turn to teaching. For the next 70 years, her passion for dance inspired and challenged many important dancers and choreographers, including Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins, Meredith Monk, Lucinda Childs, and Ronald K. Brown. The prestigious New York Dance and Performance Awards, informally known as the Bessie Awards, was named in her honor. Bessie narrates her own incredible story in Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary, which is intercut with personal and archival footage that includes her teaching choreography at Juilliard, Dance Theater Workshop, and Jacob’s Pillow. Q&A with D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus