DANCE

A 95th birthday celebration for dancer-choreographer Martha Graham brought out big names in New York Tuesday at the opening night gala of the Martha Graham Dance Company--including Mikhail Baryshnikov, who was making his first public appearance since bolting the American Ballet Theater last week. The crowd, which included Frank Sinatra, Kathleen Turner, Calvin Klein, Ivana Trump and mayoralty candidate David Dinkins, sang “Happy Birthday” to Graham (belatedly, her actual birthday is May 11). Baryshnikov joined her company at New York City Center to perform one of her works. Graham took a curtain call with Baryshnikov and the cast at the end of the program. Last week Baryshnikov quit the American Ballet Theater nine months earlier than planned because the board placed his assistant on leave against his will.