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Birth of a Modern
Graham was born in Allegheny County to George and Jane Graham. Her father was a doctor who diagnosed nervous and mental disorders by drawing attention to physical movements. This is where Martha's interest in movement and dance came from. -
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Martha Graham
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Inspiration
Graham, along with her father on a business trip, attended a performance by ballet dancer Ruth St. Denis at the Mason Opera House in Los Angeles. Martha was astonished and moved by seeing this great dancer. This will influence her decision to enroll in an art college. -
Denishawn
Graham will join classes at the Denishawn School, led by dancers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. Graham entered dance at the late age of twenty-two but this would not hold her back. Denishawn taught young dancers about body discipline, music, history of art, and philosophy. Graham will devote eight years as a student and instructor at the school. There she also learned the importance of costuming within a dance. -
'Xochitl'
Starting in 1919, Graham started to perform in dances at Denishawn, some including the Arabian 'Serenata Morisca' and 'Spanish Suite I.' It was not until 1921 when she was in her critically acclaimed leading role, Xochitl about an attacked Aztec maiden. This dance was choreographed by Ted Shawn. -
Greenwich Village Follies
Martha left Denishawn to perform in the Greenwich Village Follies under the directions of John Murray Anderson and eventually Michio Ito. There she designed and choregraphed her own dances. She danced alongside rival Helen Tamiris. -
Eastman School of Music
Graham began to teach at the Eastman School in Rochester, New York. She had free control of her classes and the material she created. She experimented with her pupils in free dance form. She believed spastic movements, tremblings, and falls expressed emotional and spiritual themes that were not shown in other dance forms. -
Martha Graham Concert Group
Graham established her own dance company and she begins to develop her own dance technique. The concert group is founded as a contemporay dance company. In the summer of 1941, it will become Martha Graham Dance Company. -
Graham Technique
When Martha estbalished her own company, she began to utilize her new technique. It was focused around contraction and release. She created spirals to show dramatic tension and used exaggerated natural movements. Graham was tough with her group of dancers, but as more joined, she started to change and modify her technique to their talents and abilities. -
First Concert for Graham Concert Group
At 48th Street Theater, Martha Graham presents her first independent concert. The New York Tribune praised her, "Miss Graham gave a successful performance, showing ability to present mood or a picture with the assets of grace, agility, effective poses, and well chosen costumes." -
'Revolt'
In 1927, Graham's students performed this dance to avant-garde music. It was not given positive reviews since it lacked the typical dance form. It was one of the first dances to show American protest and social comments. Later in life, she described this period of choreography as the 'period of long woolens' which referred to the long jersey dresses she wore. -
'Lamentation'
Graham's dance was made up of a series of grief-stricken movements, half Greek, half Hebraic, which were basic and searing. The figure remained seated with feet planted on the ground while the body twisted and rotated. A woman was so taken by the performance that she wept to Graham after the show. The costuming was a notable aspect of the dance in which Graham used a tube of knitted fabric. As her body moved, it seemed like her head, arms, and feet were carved in stone. -
Dance Repertory Theatre
Along with Charles Weidman, Doris Humphrey, and Helen Tamiris, Graham joined the Dance Repertory School. The goal for these modern choreoraphers was to give an annual season of dance programs which would represent the art of American dance. It gave a creative outlet for the modern artists to work. Unfortunately, it only lasted two seasons. -
'Frontier' and 'Primitive Mysteries'
Graham worked alongside composer Louis Horst for over two decades. Among some their collaborations were 'Frontier,' a solo piece, and 'Primitive Mysteries,' with Graham and her female dancers. 'Frontier' established the beginning of Graham's use of decor by the Japanese-American sculptor, Isamu Noguchi. 'Frontier' was a dance that represented a frontier woman's mastery of the uncharted territory. Graham's dances were solely made up of an all-woman cast. It will be in 1938 when men join. -
Invitation to the Olympics
In February of 1936, Martha Graham was invited to appear at the Olympics in Berlin, Germany but she declined on March 14th. She did not want to have anything to do with Germany at that time. -
White House Invitee
President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited Graham to be the first dancer to appear at the White House. -
A Platform for the American Dance
“A dance reveals the spirit of the country in which it takes root. No sooner does it fail to do this than it loses its integrity and significance,” Graham wrote in the 1937 essay 'A Platform for the American Dance.' -
Erick Hawkins
Martha Graham began to work with male dancer Erick Hawkins. They started their partnership in 'American Document' and went on to dance together in many other dances. Graham eventually married Hawkins in 1948 but it ended in 1950 after a passionate relationship. A second male will join her company in 1939. This was Merce Cunningham, who will become a famous modern dancer and choreographer. -
'Letter to the World'
This dance was a study of Emily Dickenson and her poertry; more about her spiritual journey than a factual account of her life. Martha was the role of the dancing poet while Erick Hawkins was the Dark Beloved. It was Graham's first statement of a lone figure who was not an outcast but an artist who gave up an ordinary life for a lonely one in order to find the essence of truth. This ballet premiered at the Bennington College and was deemed a success. -
'Deaths and Entrances'
Deaths and Entrances was a ballet choreographed by Graham which followed the story of the Brontë sisters. It was said to have a personal connection to Graham's own life and her relationship with her two sisters. In an interview later in life Martha said, "the work i not a mirroring of my life, but speaks to anyone who has a family. A modern psychological portrait..of women unable to free themselves of themsleves to follow thier heart's desires.' Martha casted herself as Emily, the dominant one -
'Appalachian Spring'
This is one of Graham's famous works which details the American frontier life. She partnered with Erick Hawkins and had a chorus of females. In her dances, Graham incorporated themes of human conflict and emotions. Her dancers never failed to show the emotional struggle of their characters. -
'Judith'
After her split with Hawkins, Graham seemed to not want to teach or work. She was devastated. But in 1950, Graham returned to choreograph the story of Judith, a heroine who lured the enemy of Israel to her tent, seduced him and killed him. This solo piece was an annihilating account of her rage and revenge for her former lover. -
'A Dancer's World' Documentary
In 1956, director Nathan Kroll approached Graham about recording her dance technique as a documentary. Martha was hesitant at first and she seemed to be shy in front of the camera. It eventually premiered in Pittsburgh, her birthplace and became an instant success! -
'Clytemnestra'
This Ballet titled 'Clytemnestra' premiered and became an instant success. It was Graham's first and only full-length work she produced. It was the largest scale of work she choreographed. It told the story of the unfaithful queen of Agamemnon. It was said to be a beautiful, poetic, and tragic tale. Martha was enduring the bitterest of all human emotions: remorse. -
Retirement
Martha Graham was seventy-two years old when she gave her last performance in 'A Time of Snow.' At this time, Martha could barely walk and as the aged Eloise, she departed the stage, leaving behind her youth. Even though Graham retired from the stage, it did not stop her from continuing to choreograph and teach until her death. -
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Martha Graham was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Gerald Ford, as he declared her 'a national treasure.' She was one of the few dancers to recieve this prestigious medal. -
Death and Legacy
Martha Graham will pass away from pnuemonia at the age of 97. She will leave a legacy as the Mother of 20th Century Modern Dance. In 1998, she will be named Time's Magazines 'Dancer of the Century.' -
Works Cited
http://marthagraham.org/about-us/our-history/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/martha-graham/about-the-dancer/497/
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200154832/default.html
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/martha-graham-2284.php
De Mille, Agnes. 'Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham, A Biography.' 1991.
