May O’Donnell, 97; Dancer, Teacher and Choreographer

May O’Donnell, 97, a dancer, choreographer and teacher best known for her association with Martha Graham, died Feb. 1 at her home in Manhattan of causes associated with aging.

The Sacramento-born O’Donnell danced with Graham from 1932 to 1938, and returned in 1944 for an additional nine years as guest artist. Among the roles O’Donnell created for the troupe were the tranquil, omniscient Pioneer woman in the classic 1944 “Appalachian Spring,” and in 1946 both the Earth in “Dark Meadow” and the Chorus in “Cave of the Heart.”

O’Donnell, who was a modern-dance choreographer for half a century, retired from performing on stage in 1961. She taught her art for many decades.

With her husband, composer Ray Green, and Graham colleague Gertrude Shurr, O’Donnell founded the San Francisco Dance Theater in 1939. A decade later, she founded a New York-based company that performed into the 1980s. Many of her 50 documented dances were done in collaboration with Green, who is also deceased.