NAME: McGriff Jr., Heywood "Woody"

BIRTH DATE/LOCATION:
c. 1958, Massillon, Ohio

DEATH DATE/LOCATION:
8 May 1994, Austin, Texas, age 36

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Heywood "Woody" McGriff in Triptych, choreography Jose Luis Bustamante.
Photo: courtesy Andrea Beckham.

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  • human repositories
  • video documentation
  • photographic documentation
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  • movement notation
  • production materials
  • oral history
  • personal papers
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  • overview of works
  • bibliography
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    IDENTIFICATION AND BIO:
    Woody McGriff was a choreographer as well as a modern and postmodern dancer who performed nationally with Frank Holder Dance Company, Bill Evans Dance Company, Nina Wiener and Dancers, Jennifer Muller/The Works, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. He was born in Massillon, Ohio, and received his BFA degree in dance at Ohio State University in 1980. At the time of his death, he was an associate professor of dance at the University of Texas, Austin. At UT, which he joined in 1988, he headed up Dance Repertory Theatre, the student dance company, and served as resident choreographer. From 1991, he also developed his solo repertory into a company structure called McGriff Solo Dance. Simultaneously, he created works for Sharir Dance Company, Dallas Black Dance Company, Dancers Unlimited Dance Company, New Orleans Dance and Pensacola Ballet. McGriff last performed in public 19 March 1994, in Austin Festival of Dance, a gala benefiting AIDS Services of Austin. He died of AIDS-related causes.

    KEY CONTACT PERSON(S)/EXECUTOR OF ESTATE:
    McGriff was survived by his mother, Maybelle McGriff, of Massillon, Ohio. Internet and phone searches have failed to track her.

    HUMAN REPOSITORIES OF THE WORK
    (name and contact info, relationship to the artist and the work, assessment):
    Andrea Beckham, friend and frequent dance partner.
    a.beckham@mail.utexas.edu

    In addition, Ronald K. Brown performed McGriff's Angelitos Negros in 1995 at the American Dance Festival as a tribute to McGriff.

    VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    The Dance Collection of the New York Public Library holds videotaped documentation of McGriff's dancing, especially with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, but only this one tape of McGriff's choreography:

    Gill Evans and Gregg Lizenbery with Heywood McGriff, Jr. (1983)—compilation videotape of April 1983 performance at the Dance Center, Emanu-El Midtown YMHA, New York City, including The "A" Train Takes Me, choreographed and performed by McGriff; lighting design by Jeff Bickford; music by Richard Tee (Echoes); VHS (90 min.); call number MGZIA 4-380.

    PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    The following photos are in the personal collection of Andrea Beckham:

    Photo of Heywood "Woody" McGriff and Andrea Beckham in The Egg, choreographer Yacov Sharir; photographer Jon Leatherwood.

    Photo of Heywood "Woody" McGriff in Triptych, choreographer José Luis Bustamante.

    MOVEMENT NOTATION
    (location, type [including notes taken by dancers], assessment):
    None identified.

    PRODUCTION MATERIALS
    (scores, sound recordings, set/costume designs):
    None identified.

    ORAL HISTORY:
    None identified.

    PERSONAL PAPERS
    (location of newspaper clippings, printed programs, press releases, notes, files, diaries; assessment):
    None identified.

    IMMEDIATE NEEDS
    (archival assistance? storage? other?):
    Charles Daniel Santos may be the executor, per Beckham, but his email doesn't work.

    OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
    Upon McGriff's death, an endowed presidential scholarship was established in the Department of Theatre and Dance at University of Texas, Austin. The UT Center for African and African American Studies also has named a scholarship in his honor for students participating in the UT-Ghana student exchange program.

    LIST OR OVERVIEW OF WORKS
    (title, premiere date, music, production notes, performers):
    This list is from Daly et al. (see below):

    Freetime (1982)

    The "A" Train Takes Me (1982)

    Rainmakers Six on Sunday (1984)

    White Winds (1985)

    Certain Type of Luck (1986)

    Forgotten Yesterdays (1986)

    Wind Whisper (1986)

    Looking Glass (1986)

    Katsura (1987)

    Merrily We Roll Along (1988)—musical

    Mirrors—A Jazz Dance in Four Reflections (1988)

    Passage (for Danny) (1988)

    Lies and Legends: The Musical Stories of Harry Chapin (1989)—musical

    From Nat with Love (1989)

    Laudate Pueri (1989)

    Danse de Krishna (1989)

    Contemplation (1989)

    Angelitos Negros (1989)

    Chances Are (1990)

    Creature (1990)

    Anything Goes (1991)—musical

    Pippin (1991)—musical

    Piano Concerto No. 1 (1991)

    A Day in the Life Of (1991)

    Dig (1991)

    To the Fifth Power (1991)

    The Journey (1992)—musical

    Mosaic Tales (1992)

    Hope (1992)

    Spirit Within (1993)

    Space of Hearts (1993)

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    • Belans, Linda. 1995. "Ron Brown, the Witness." News & Observer [Durham, North Carolina] (16 June): 20.
    • Daly, Ann, with Coleman A. Jennings and Yacov Sharir. 1996. "In Memoriam: Heywood ('Woody') McGriff, Jr." Documents and Minutes of the General Faculty: Report of the Memorial Resolution Committee for Heywood ("Woody") McGriff, Jr. Austin: University of Texas.
    • Lomax, Sondra. 1995. "Obituaries: Heywood 'Woody' McGriff." Dance Magazine (January): 107-108.
         		 
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