Helen McGehee (1921-2020)

Helen McGehee was an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and teacher. From the 1940s until 1970, she was a leading performer in the Martha Graham Dance Company, which revolutionized American modern dance. Having studied Greek and Latin at Randolph-Macon Woman's College, she used her knowledge of Greek mythology to originate iconic roles in the Graham repertory and to design costumes for Graham and for her own company. A founding member of the Dance Division faculty at the Juilliard School, she taught there for more than 30 years. After 1978, she lived here at 2907 Rivermont Ave. with her husband, the Colombian-American artist known as Umaña (1908-1994).