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Posts by Ronnie Ancona

A banner with images of dancers on either side of text, which reads "The Martha Graham Dance Company: Two Greek-Themed Modernist Works by Martha Graham. January 4, 2025: 8-10pm"

Blog: Greek Myth, Martha Graham, and the Society for Classical Studies: Classicists, Archaeologists, and the Public in Philadelphia Enthralled by Martha Graham Dance Company Performance

On January 4, 2025, the Martha Graham Dance Company, with sponsorship by the Society for Classical Studies, which was holding its annual meeting in Philadelphia along with the Archaeological Institute of America, performed two Greek-themed dances: a duet, Errand into the Maze (1947), loosely based on the Ariadne, Theseus, and Minotaur myth; and Cave of the Heart (1946), based on the story of Medea, for a sold-out audience at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. Graham’s twentieth-century reception of these myths provides a woman-centered focus, with a woman, not a man, encountering the Minotaur in one dance, and with Medea as the amazing, powerful force in the other. Part of the impact of these dances is that they resonate both with antiquity and with the ever-changing moment of today.

A white book cover with red text and a sketched face of a man with curly hair

The Return of a Catullan Treasure: Sesar’s Catullus Translation Available Again

by Ronnie Ancona

Since my original article (see below) about Carl Sesar’s (then out of print) Catullus, many people have asked me whether the book is back in print. The very good news is that it has indeed been available, with some revisions, from Sesar’s own One Shot Press since 2013. He would be happy to answer questions about this publication via email (carlsesar@gmail.com) or snail mail (Carl Sesar, One Shot Press, 7 Bardwell St., Florence, MA 01062) Read more …

There Is a Shortage of Certified Latin Teachers: Please Spread the Word!

by Ronnie Ancona and Kathleen Durkin

There is a shortage of certified Latin teachers in the United States. Latin teaching positions at the precollegiate level sometimes cannot be filled for lack of qualified applicants. In New York State, for example, where we both teach, in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, Latin was named specifically as a language with a teacher shortage by the United States Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education (http://tinyurl.com/mwgdr9j). Not filling a Latin position can result in one of several negative outcomes: the end of a Latin program, the inability to start one, or difficulty with sustaining one. None of these situations is good for maintaining strength in classics at the precollegiate level, where many of our students are first introduced to their excitement about our field. While the shortage does not affect every part of the country equally, it is sufficiently widespread to pose a Read more …